Homily for September 20, 2019

Throughout His ministry, Jesus made it clear that He came not to be served but to serve. Although Jesus lived on this earth both as God and as human, at times He still needed the help of others in order to fulfill His mission. Today’s Gospel calls us to focus on some of the ways in which He was helped by a number of women who were His followers and supported His mission. Luke says that as Jesus made is way preaching throughout many towns and villages, a number of women provided for Him out of their own resources. Their service to Him enabled Him to serve others.

It stands to reason that if Jesus needed the help of others to complete His mission, then we are also in need of such help. By virtue of our Baptism, we are called to serve others, and we are also to accept the service of others, because we really do need their help; we cannot answer God’s call to us simply on our own resources.

Serving others calls for a spirit of generosity and for a spirit of humility, wanting to do for others recognizing our need for interdependence with others. Saint Paul taught us that within the Church, the Body of Christ on earth, we are all interdependent. The Spirit is at work in all our lives in many different ways. We need others and others need us. We all have something worthwhile to give and something worthwhile to receive. Let us recognize our need for, and be grateful for, those who journey with us and who help us through life. +