Tuesday, November 10, 2020 - 32nd week of Ordinary Time - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 17, 7-10 - If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, says the Lord; my Father will love him, and we will come to him.

Dear Christians! According to the catechism, service is part of the definition of the Church. The Church is a service and we are called to that service. Jesus emphasizes this service in the Gospel presented to us. The baptism we have received makes us missionaries; in mission at the service of the Church. One of the requirements of mission is service because Christ taught his disciples, and us too, that whoever wants to be great will be the servant. So we always try to show this sense of service at all levels who we are in the Church: it manifests itself in very different ways as St. Paul teaches us that there are many gifts: there are teachers, doctors, artisans... It is through all these talents and skills, which are gifts from God given to us, that we serve in the Church for the good of others.

At the same time, humility is necessary because there is no good service if one is not humble, and this is one of the strong points of the Gospel of Jesus. The reality in our lives is often exactly what Jesus said: the great are always great and will never let themselves be diminished. Humility is difficult to achieve, given the different social classes. Therefore, the service we are asked to provide is imperfect. So let the song "Blessed are those who love to serve, and do not seek to be served" not be a simple song. Jesus already reveals to us at the end of this Gospel what we should say once the mission is accomplished: "We are simple servants: we have only done our duty". Then we also deserve the reward that Jesus promised us in his parable: "Faithful servant, rejoice with your master."