Called to Serve

I love this time of the year. Various flowers are beginning to bloom including these roses on the trellis in our back garden.

You will notice a statue of Mary in the background. This statue entitled 'Queen of this house' was cast in France and stood in the old seminary in Meeanee in Taradale in the late 1800's and was then transferred to the Seminary at Greenmeadows in the early 1900's. It was placed here in it's present site 26 years ago. Although our formation house is much much smaller now, the statue links all those different eras. We often have photos taken in front of the statue. For many years all those who began seminary formation and those finally professed in the Society of Mary had their photos taken in front of the statue. I think of all those young men who chose to give seminary life a go and discerned other ways of serving and living their faith and those who went on to serve the Church within the Society of Mary.

Today's Gospel reminds us about the call to service. Jesus said, 'For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'

Let's acknowledge and give thanks for the many ways we live out Christ's call to serve one another within our families, communities and work places and let's remember and pray for each other to persevere in loving service. Maybe you can name and be mindful of those people in your life who serve you in humble and unselfish ways.

Where would we be without the essential workers, health providers and carers in our present context who devote long hours to assist us in the Covid response?

I wrote 'Beyond the Call of Duty' track 8 featured on the album ' A Place at the Table' for those who work in the essential services when I was an assistant priest at St Mary of the Angels over 10 years ago. It's the song I have chosen for you this week.