So
the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not
right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select
from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we
shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to
the ministry of the word.” The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so
they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip,
Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to
Judaism. Acts
6:2-5
When
it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea, embarked in a
boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum. It had already grown dark, and
Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea was stirred up because a strong wind
was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus
walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But
he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” John 6:16-20
Piety
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours. (Teresa of Avila)
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours. (Teresa of Avila)
Study
Jesus continues to work to bring people out
of the darkness of night into the morning of glory. His need for assistants and assistance has
never been greater. As people get a
chance to taste and see what he has to offer, they want Jesus to stay with them
in their boat, their house or their town.
Today, we also hear the story of the founding
of the permanent diaconate, an office whose origin is to serve the people of the
world. Service, our Cursillo action leg,
is embedded throughout the Good News.
However, my issue with today’s list of the first people chosen to serve
the people starts a little too late.
What about the most famous mother-in-law in
this story?
Jesus
entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a
fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose
and waited on him.
(Matthew 8:14-15)
Or the hospitality of Marth in this one?
As
they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was
Martha welcomed him. She
had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him
speak. Martha, burdened
with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister
has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” (Luke 10:38-40)
Or the witness of the Samaritan woman at the
well in this one?
Many of the Samaritans of that town
began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who
testified, “He told me everything I have done.” When the Samaritans came to him, they invited
him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days.
John 4:39-40
Action
What part will you play in being the
assistant to Jesus and offering assistance to
the community whether you are
formally a deacon or not? Consider this story of “diakonia” like service:
 |
| Has everyone been served yet? (c) Time-Life Image from "Nurse Midwife" by Eugene W. Smith. |
In December 1951, LIFE published one of the
most extraordinary photo essays ever to appear in the magazine. Across a dozen
pages, and featuring more than 20 of the great W. Eugene Smith’ pictures, the
story of a tireless South Carolina nurse and midwife named Maude Callen opened
a window on a world that, surely, countless LIFE readers had never seen — and,
perhaps, had never even imagined.[i] The
article in LIFE, titled
simply “Nurse Midwife,” chronicled Callen’s work and her unique role in her
community. Follow the link in the prior sentence to see the famous images.
Eventually, more than $20,000 in donations
helped to build a clinic in Pineville, where Mrs. Callen worked until her
retirement in 1971. Maude Callen died in 1990 at the age of 91 in Pineville,
South Carolina, where she had lived, and served, for seven decades.
Has everyone been served yet?
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