The Word of Life: a sentence of Scripture offered to our readers as a guideline and inspiration for daily life.
The commentary to the Word of Life is translated into 90 different languages and dialects,
and reaches more that 14 million people worldwide through the press and radio and TV programs.

“I am among you as the one who serves”
  (Lk 22:27)
   By Fr. Fabio Ciardi, OMI and Gabriella Fallacara  

On the feast of unleavened bread, Passover, Jesus was with his disciples in the “upper room,” where he shared his last supper with them. After he had broken the bread and passed around a cup of wine, he gave them his last teaching: in his community, the greatest would become the least and the one who governs as the one who serves. During the supper, the apostles had been arguing among themselves “about which of them should be regarded as the greatest” (Lk 22:24).

In John’s account of this event, Jesus adds an eloquent gesture to show the novelty in the relationships that he came to establish among all those who are his disciples. Contrary to all the customary logic of rank and order, Jesus washes their feet.

“I am among you as the one who serves.”

“To love means to serve,” says Chiara Lubich, “and Jesus showed us how.”
“To serve” are words that seem to degrade a person. Are not those who serve usually considered inferior to others?

And yet, everyone wishes to be served by those in position of leadership. Public institutions and organizations require it. Are not the people who hold the highest positions referred to as “ministers” and “secretaries”? Are not social services aptly called “services”? We appreciate a waiter who serves us well, a clerk who handles our business efficiently, a doctor and a nurse who care for us with skill and consideration.

If we expect this from others, they too can expect as much from us.

Chiara Lubich reminds us once again that to be Christians means “to serve, to serve everyone, and see everyone as our master. If we are servants, then the others are masters. To serve, to serve, to put ourselves beneath others, to seek to achieve greatness in the Gospel sense, yes, but by placing ourselves at the service of everyone…. Christianity is something committing; it is not a matter of a bit of polish, a bit of compassion, a bit of love, a bit of almsgiving. Oh no! It’s easy to give to the poor and be at peace with our conscience, and then command or oppress others.”

But how should we serve? Chiara gave us a few simple words: “live the other,” that is, “try to enter their life, to walk in their shoes, to feel what they feel, to carry their burdens.” She gave an example: “How can I do this with children? The children want me to play with them. So I will play! Do I have to please a member of my family who wants to watch a program or go out for a walk? I am tempted to think that it’s a waste of time. No! It’s not a waste of time, it’s all love, it’s all time gained, because we have to make ourselves one with others out of love for them.

We now know how to live this Word of Life: by paying attention to others and by responding right away to their needs—in short, by loving them with deeds.

At times it will be a matter of improving in our work, which we should carry out with greater expertise and professionalism because this is a way of serving the community.

At other times, it could be a matter of responding to requests for help from those far and near who may be older, unemployed, physically or mentally challenged, from people who are lonely, perhaps from refugees or victims of natural disasters, or responding to a request to adopt a child or to support some humanitarian project.

Those who have positions of responsibility will drop unpleasant attitudes of command and remember that we are all brothers and sisters to one another.