“How Can I Serve You, Lord?” by Colleen O’Sullivan

“How Can I Serve You, Lord?” by Colleen O’Sullivan

Wednesday in the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time

Beloved:  Realize that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished Lamb. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."  He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"  They answered him, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.  Can you drink the chalice that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"  They said to him, "We can."  (Mark 10:35-39a)

Piety

What do you want of me, Lord?

Where do you want me to serve you?

Where can I sing your praises?

I am your song.

(Servant Song, Angelina)

Study

I’ve read today’s Gospel passage many times and what has always stood out is James’ and John’s request to sit on either side of Jesus in heaven.  This time, however, I found myself amazed by what they said before that:   Whatever we ask for, we want you to make it happen!  Before we gasp and point fingers, though, maybe this is the futile sort of conduct Peter refers to in his letter.  And maybe that futile conduct isn’t just a thing of antiquity but is alive and well in us today.

How many of us in our morning prayer echo the songwriter Angelina’s question, “What do you want of me, Lord?” and how many of us sound more like James and John with a self-serving wish list for Jesus?  Being a Christian disciple isn’t so much about what Jesus can do for us today as it’s about living in the context of what Jesus has already done for us by dying for us on the Cross.  What the Lord desires of you and me is that we live the way he died – for others.

That’s about the most counter-cultural request I can imagine.  We are immersed in a society that worships the acquisition of power, wealth and prestige.  Even as far back as first grade, I can remember wanting to be the person selected to lead the line of students out the door and down the hall to recess.  As the years go by, prestige (at least for girls) lies in what clothes you wear to school.  Then it’s all about getting into the best schools.  It’s all about the biggest, the best, etc.  I don’t remember ever being taught that being humble, being last in line, or caring about those who are the least among us are far more important in the long run.  As Peter points out in today’s first reading, our lives on earth are as ephemeral as those of the flowers and grass around us.  They’re colorful today and gone tomorrow.  Better to be concerned with how we are doing as Jesus’ disciples than caught up in the things that will disappear when our lives come to an end.

Action 

When you pray today, ask God how and where you can best serve God and all our brothers and sisters.