My Dear People, 

Today the reading refers to the suffering servants. In Chapter 53 of Isaiah, the servant is a light, a beacon in which Israel is to catch the attention of other nations; lead them to reflect on their situation, and to realize they, too, are also deserving. The purpose of the Exile was ultimately to bring about the conversion of the Gentiles. The mission of the Servant, to which the Jews were called, was to accept unmerited suffering in patient fidelity and so to serve as an example for all other nations. 

The Gentile nations did not react to the Jewish experience in the way the prophet hoped. Yet the model of the Servant has endured. It provides a way of explaining and making positive the sense of suffering, which is always a challenge to the human spirit.  It also suggests a style of evangelizing, not by conquering others but by bearing their burdens and setting an example. For Christians, this model was intensified by the example of Jesus, whose suffering and death were also understood as a sacrifice for the sins of others.

Our attitude should be that of Our Lord! We should seek to serve God and men with a truly supernatural outlook and not expect anything in return! We should serve even those who do not always appreciate the service we do! The Christian who identifies with Christ takes “pride” precisely in serving others. By so doing, one shares in Christ’s mission and thereby attains true dignity. This dignity is expressed in readiness to serve, and in keeping with the example of Christ; who came not to be served, “but to serve.” If, in the light of this attitude of Christ’s ‘being a king’ is truly possible only by ‘being a servant,’ then, ‘being a servant,’ demands much more spiritual maturity in order to be declared ‘a king.’  To be able to serve others worthily and effectively, we must be able to master ourselves, possess the virtues that make this mastery possible”! (John Paul II Redemptor Hominis, 21).  

Service is a very important element. In our lives, we outgrow many things, but  we will never outgrow the need for service. The most successful ones in business are the those who understand “service”  best. How do they do it? They make a point to anticipate the needs of customers and tell their employees to do the same. Those who excel in this, definitively get repeat business. Providing service is what makes some companies great. When the Diocese hosts the priests’ convocation at the Gasparilla Inn (which has been in business over 100 years), I always notice how cheerful the staff is. There is someone every day to greet one at the front door and to open the door for you.  

The Catholic church has made service an important element, also. Many hospitals have been opened and run by Catholic organizations. There are many schools, from elementary level to the college level, that are Catholic. When I was in India, a poor country, the sisters and the Catholic Church in the State of Kerala (the most Catholic State in India) operated the schools. The students wore uniforms and were from all religions. Likewise, the Sisters of the Poor run rehabilitation clinics and nursing homes.

The sense of service is very strong within the Catholic Church. We must always remember that no matter what we do and what position we hold, we are always servants. Whenever we serve someone, we are serving Christ himself.  Taking care of people are Corporal and Spiritual works of Mercy.   

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Vincent Clemente