Tuesday - a servant life

Prayer:  We come hurrying from far and wide to worship You.  Allelulia.    We bring our gifts of love and peace and justice.  Allelulia.   Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  Allelulia.

Read  St. Luke  6: 29

The Message translates this passage as “If someone slaps you in the face,  stand there and take it.  If someone grabs your shirt, gift wrap your best coat and make a present of it.”   (The Message,  Navpress).    Is this passage of scripture talking about abuse and as Christians we have to live in a life of abuse?  No,  not at all.  What Jesus is telling the disciples here is that they (and we) must live a servant life.  We must always be serving others.    Even when we get discouraged and frustrated,  we must continue to serve others.     

But we are not alone in serving others.   For us alone,  this would be impossible – we would get deeply discouraged and frustrated – but nothing is impossible for God.     Remember that God created us to live in community.  Our community is the Church.    These days we look upon the Church as that big building we have to keep up (and that gets discouraging!).    We must remember that the Church is not a building.  The Church is you and me,  loving and serving Christ in our community.

How will you serve others this day?

 

Prayer:  “With joy let us pray to our Saviour,  the Son of God made man,  and say to him:  the grace of God be with us all.   O Christ,  sow everywhere Your word of life:  draw every creature to yourself.  The grace of God be with us all.  O Christ,  Saviour and Lord,  extend Your Church on every side;  make us a place of welcome for all mankind.  The grace of God be with us all.   Sun of Justice,  direct the working and thinking of leaders and rulers everywhere;  give peace and freedom to every nation.  The grace of God be with us all.  Master of all,  courage for the weak and comfort for the distressed,  strengthen and lift us up,  watch over all who are lonely or threatened;  sustain the faith and hope of those persecuted.  The grace of God be with us all.  May Your eternal light shine upon us all.  The grace of God be with us all.    Amen. “  (Taize  “Praise in all our Days”  Mowbray,  pg. 171).