“God Served Us In Creating Us and Re-creating Us” - 29th Sunday Homily

Whenever I quote this last line of the Gospel, Christ says, did not come to be served but to serve, I always have to kind of pause and think to myself, get it right.

Well, years ago, Catholic newspaper in the Midwest used it and got it wrong.

On their Holy Week issue, on the front page of their newspaper is a picture of Christ washing the feet of the apostles.

No joke, there's a huge caption said, I did not come to serve, but to be served.

Oops.

It was like April Fools or something.

So get it right.

He did not come to be served.

He was not a rich man, a rich king who dined sumptuously and filled himself up.

He was served on occasion.

He let others serve Him like Martha.

Peter's mother-in-law, Mary Magdalene with her tears in her hair and His feet.

That was to allow them to share in the goodness of serving.

And they followed His example.

He said, if you would serve me, follow me.

Follow His example.

God is still served in Heaven, not with bonbons and pedicures, but by the saints.

glorifying Him, adoring Him.

Sharing in His goodness, His love, His power.

And knowing Him, all the saints in Heaven, they know everything now.

All the answers to their questions, they know everything about creation and salvation and His plan.

All the things He's allowing them to share in.

So we say they're serving Him, it's sharing in Him that He allows.

So even our service is from His service.

It's what He intends when He creates us.

It's like when we come to Mass, we praise Him, we thank Him, but it adds nothing to His greatness.

This is more for us than for Him.

Same thing in Heaven, same thing with creation.

He serves us by creating us.

He serves us by recreating us.

And that's what we celebrate in these readings.

I know the first reading is a little rough.

The Lord was pleased to crush Him in infirmity.

But it speaks to how pleased the Father is with the Son.

Like a parent pleased with their child doing what is right and even sacrificing to do it.

The Father is infinitely pleased with His Son and the service of the Son that he gave His life as a ransom for many.