Serving Others

We look upon Mary as the model of one who serves: "Behold the handmaid (servant) of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word (Lk 1: 38). Another translation: "I am the Lord's servant, and am willing to accept whatever he wants." Openness, readiness, eager willingness, not resentful or self-pitying submission. But service really takes up a lot of "our" time and could be blamed as the reason for our constant busyness. We never read of Mary's complaints about what she was asked to do and so willingly and lovingly accepted. No, if we learn to see our busyness as the result of our call, our choice, to be "servant of all", and take Jesus and Mary as our models as the lowliest and humblest servants, then we will find peace and joy in the "washing of feet" or whatever form our service might take. Looking at time as not "ours" but God's, on loan to us, the we feel less entitled to hoard it all to ourselves and are freer to use it for others. Whenever we put aside our agendas to serve the needs of others, it is amazing how we accomplish both. We are able to help someone and get our own work done, perhaps not in the time frame we had planned, but eventually, in God's. It's a risk to say "yes" and open ourselves to be stretched beyond what we thought was possible, but we are assured that we will never be "tested" or stretched beyond our capacity. The "fiat"...be it done unto me...is an essential ingredient in Marist Spirituality. Let us ask Mary to be willing to take risks with "our" time, and walk with her as willing servants.
Bro. Rene