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A Culture of Entitlement or a Culture of Service?
 

Jesus came to bring hope and meaning to our lives, to bring light to a dark world. His message of love lifts our hearts, and is for all. He wants his followers to make a difference to the world around them, we are called to be in the world but to be different, to have standards based on something higher than self-interest. We need to remember that a grumpy inward looking Christian is a contradiction in terms. Yet at times we may share the feelings expressed by Job in today’s Old Testament reading, being sick, joyless, restless and miserable. When circumstances bring us to this state, Job feels, life seems pointless, a matter of unremitting hard work, struggle and drudgery, virtual slavery. In the second reading Saint Paul tells of a different experience of slavery, as an apostle and follower of Christ. He travelled, preached, suffered and wrote, working hard to the point of making himself a slave of everyone. His reward was the joy in spreading the news of a better way of living in love and peace, news of eternal life. His enthusiasm never failed, the message was always fresh.

We are called to follow Christ who “came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.” Our Christian calling involves service to others, in a home or family context, as well as in the wider community. In meeting the needs of others our lives are enriched and given deeper meaning. Christian service to one another is focussed on the other, not on ourselves. In a healthy Christian community the various need of people are met by the giftedness, by the talents and abilities of those within the community. In Ballincollig we have groups of generous people who combine to provide service to the Christian community or to individuals, including for example family carers, members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, church music groups and others who help or minister in our churches and the many involved in community, social, cultural and sporting activities in a voluntary capacity. Jesus made time for prayer in his life, and received renewed inspiration and energy for his mission from the Father. It is in prayer that we too will find the strength to persevere in our Christian service, and to keep it fresh and generous.

Billy O'Sullivan.

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Last modified:05-Feb-2012