Service Please!

When Jesus had washed the disciples' feet, he said to them:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master  
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. 
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."

Well, I for one am happy that it seems that we have left the sheep metaphors behind us for a while.  But look where we have gone instead.  We are no longer celebrating the Resurrection but we are back into the upper room at the Last Supper.  We are being shown by God Himself that we are here to provide service.  God Himself stooped down and served His creation by taking on the lowest job that there was in the land.  He did it willingly.  He did it tenderly.  He did it because of the love that was burning inside of His soul for these followers.  He even washed the feet of the one who would in several hours time, betray Him.   

We could spend hours of our time speculating of what heaven will be like.  I do not know the particulars of what our home will be like once we leave this earthly abode, but I do believe that it will be a place where service is something that we will do as a matter of course.  We will be watching for ways that we can share our happiness, our joy, our life with those who might need something.  Since we are in heaven and all of our needs and wants will be automatically fulfilled, our joy will be the knowledge that we will be happy to give up we what we have in joy and service to anyone we see in need.  

The joy of being a giver outlasts the temporary joys we may feel when we accumulate the things of this world.  This is because of how we were made as images of our heavenly Father whose joy comes from being of service to us.

Please remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory today.