Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a certain new, upscale Italian restaurant on the north side of Indianapolis . Some friends of mine had given me a gift certificate to go there, and I went, because the gift certificate was going to expire. It was a wonderful time and quite the experience. I was a little concerned that it was probably the most expensive plate of spaghetti that I have ever eaten. But the service was great. There was like a team of waiters and waitresses for each table. And they were watching your every move. When you sat down, they came over and put your napkin in your lap for you. I was like, whoooooh! Most guys are not used to that. They could have warned me. Maybe then I wouldn’t have screamed. And then, whenever you’d take a drink out of your water, they’d run over and fill it up, like the glass had to be constantly full or else they’d get fired. It was like some new version of Chinese water torture. Plus, after you ate your salad, they not only took your salad fork, but they took away all your silverware and brought you all new silverware. I was like “But I didn’t even touch that!” Usually, I’m just happy in a restaurant if I get clean silverware once, not three times. But I have to tell you, you kinda got spoiled from all that kind of service. It’s nice to be served, even if it only happens once in awhile.

In our Gospel today, we are being reminded that we are not here to be served, but we are here as followers of Jesus Christ, to serve. The reminder comes as the Apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. And the answer that Jesus gives is very surprising. To increase their faith, Jesus doesn’t tell them to go pray on a mountain. He doesn’t say read the Sacred Scriptures. He doesn’t tell them to go do Christ Renews His Parish. Instead, Jesus say, that if you want to increase your faith, then you’ve got to be willing to serve in humility. This is the way to increase your faith. We are to put our faith, even what little of it there is, into action, and God will give us more faith. This was not the answer to the question that the Apostles were looking for. And perhaps, this is not what we wanted to hear from Jesus either, as we come here today. But once again, we are being reminded that Servanthood and service is at the heart of the Gospel story. You can’t have faith without service. And you can’t have true service, without faith.

We are called to be servants. We are not slaves because we know that people were never intended to be enslaved to others. And we are not slaves even to God who grants each of us a dignity and true freedom to serve Him and do His Will. It is sobering to be reminded that ultimately we do not perform ministry for its rewards, but rather we are simply doing what we have been called and created to do. If we take seriously the notion of a call to serve, than no Christian really has any choice but to get involved and get our hands dirty. All baptized Christians have been designed and appointed to serve. It is what gives meaning to our lives. However, the point is made today: when we have done all that we ought to have done, our behavior is its own reward. As we serve, God gives us faith. The more we serve, the more faith we will receive.

Who are you serving in your life? How are you making the Kingdom a reality? Are you a servant for God and for others? Or are you too wrapped up in being served, to take the time to serve others? Jesus is not saying this is an option. It is the way things are supposed to be.

Before he died, the martyred German pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, called the Church in Germany back to its servant role. He wrote that “Only those who cry for those who hunger for freedom and justice; only those who weep for the poor in the urban tenements and rural shacks of our land; only those who share in the suffering of the victims of war and social strife, and the more incalculable hurts of the lonely, the despised, and the forsaken of our society; ONLY THESE have a right to raise their voices in praise of God in the hymns and prayers of the Church. For they alone represent the Church in its true essence as the suffering-servant-people of God.” We too need to be constantly called back to Servanthood.

Anybody can call themselves a ‘Christian’. Anybody can wear the right jewelry, or read the right book, or listen to the right music. What Jesus desperately needs today are convicted, enthusiastic servants who care more about the Kingdom, than they do themselves. Are you willing to be a servant? Are you willing to serve, rather than be served? It’s not an easy question. And it won’t stand for an easy answer.

May God bless all of us as we strive to serve Him, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit… AMEN !!!

St. Maria Goretti … Pray for us !!!