The Gospel this week is the story of understanding servant leadership. It is not about leadership as the world today knows it, but about a model of leadership that embodies solidarity, suffering and servitude to God’s mission of love and justice.
Throughout the Gospel, we find many examples of service. One of the most noteworthy is the washing of feet, where Jesus takes on the role of a servant. Jesus lived his life as an example of service so as to witness to God the Father who loved Him and who loves us.
We often hear about the “servant Church” – the community of Jesus’ followers which is like a group of people dedicated to improving the quality of life for others, sharing compassion and experiencing the hardships of others. It also includes caring for and protecting the earth. The service of people is the service of God.
Today is Mission Sunday. We are reminded of the Church’s mission to serve others. We are reminded not only of the missionaries in service overseas but also of those who are now serving our Church here in Ireland.
The call of mission is to go beyond boundaries and borders, bringing good news to the broken-hearted.
- Who have been the missionaries of good news in our lives?
- Who has brought us good news in times of despair and great need?
Pope Francis calls us to be a missionary Church. Today serves as a reminder that mission is service, modelled after the example that Jesus gave us.
Ronan Barry
