"...not to be served but to serve..." (Mark 10:45)

By Jesus washing their feet at the Last Supper, the Apostles become both sacrifices and priests. In Jesus' time priests had to wash their feet, and one had to wash the feet of animal sacrifices. By washing their feet, Jesus equips the Apostles to be poured out in sacrifice as offerings to the Father, and to themselves make this offering both in the Eucharist and in the daily offering of their lives for love of God. This washing of the Apostles' feet is related to the sacrament of Baptism, which draws its power from the Cross, the ultimate sign of service. By Baptism, the whole community of the faithful is a priestly people. "'...by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, [they] are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, that through all the works of Christian men they may offer spiritual sacrifices.' Incorporated in Jesus Christ, the baptized are united to him and to his sacrifice in the offering they make of themselves and their daily activities (cf. Rom 12:1,2) (Christifideles Laici, 14) and in their fulfillment of their call to be poured out in sacrifice--"...not to be served but to serve..." (Mark 10:24).
     As priestly people by virtue of our Baptism, we are called to service, to take our example from that of the Cross, to serve our brothers and sisters out of selfless love, to "...walk the road Christ Himself walked, a way of poverty and obedience, of service and self-sacrifice even to death, a death from which he emerged victorious by his resurrection" (CCC 852). Service reminds us of our dependence on one another and of our need for community. It reminds us that we are not self-sufficient, but that we need each other, enrich each other, complete each other and exist in the service of each other (CCC 340). No creature is self-sufficient. "God wills the interdependence of creatures. The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow:.....their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other" (CCC 340).
     The mutual dependence seen throughout all of creation is poignantly seen in the mutual dependance linking the different generations, the young and the old (Pope John Paul II's Letter to the Elderly, 10). "The elderly help us to see human affairs with greater wisdom...[and they] are able to offer young people precious advice and guidance" (Pope John Paul II's Letter to the Elderly, 10). Likewise, youth offer the elderly their enthusiasm and spirit, helping to preserve their youth and vitality. "...[There is a] mutual dependence and indispensable solidarity which link the different generations, inasmuch as every person needs others and draws enrichment from the gifts and charisms of all" (Pope John Paul II's Letter to the Elderly, 10). There is an old Jewish tale in which a young woman says to an old woman, "what is life's heaviest burden"? And the old woman answers, "to have nothing to carry" (Franciscan Prayer by Ilia Delio, O.S.F.). A love that is truly life-giving and transforming, bringing out in us who we are truly created to be, is one that serves the other, helps us carry the other's burdens, and ultimately empties us of self.
     In the call of service is a call to humility. As instruments of the Holy Spirit, we must empty ourselves so that the Holy Spirit can come and work through us. The true definition of humility is that of living in truth before God. Humility is truth. As we learn from Jesus the way of the Cross, we also learn humility from Him who is "meek and humble of heart." Jesus is totally emptied of and free from preoccupation with self. He, the King of the Universe, is born in a stable, washes the feet of His followers, and freely gives up His life on the cross. He shows us the true meaning of humility, that it is not having a low opinion of oneself or admitting wrongdoing, but that it is "readiness to abase oneself, to lower oneself and serve the brothers and sisters; it is having the will to serve. This is done out of love, not out of any other motives" (Sober Intoxication of the Holy Spirit by Roniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M., Cap.).
     True service means serving others out of humility without self-interest or calculation, as in the parable about the dinner guests, "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you" (Luke 14:13-14). It means pouring ourselves out freely and not living only for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:15). It condemns our instinct to elevate ourselves above our neighbors, realizing that we are dependent on each other. It means we don't use our gifts for ourselves or to dominate others, but we use them for the service of others (Sober Intoxication of the Holy Spirit by Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M., Cap.)--" ...not to be served but to serve..." (Mark 10:45).


Written by Kristen, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm