By Zachary Swinehart
If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. – John 12:26
Service. That word that evokes a wide range of thoughts. Whether it’s the speed with which our morning coffee is delivered or the quality of our internet connection we often hear of good or bad “service.” But service is something much more than these surface level acts or public utilities, it is what we are called to do for others out of the charity in our own hearts for our fellow man and the Kingdom of God. Many serve through the priesthood or other religious callings, and to those men and women we as Catholics are eternally grateful, but laymen are also called to serve the Church, just as the Church is called to serve Christ.
As Catholic men we need to be at the forefront of the bulwark of Christendom. Service is something all men and women are called to do but fathers and husbands (the head of the family) should be shining examples of service for their families to emulate. A father who serves others will raise children who serve others and it is in serving others that we find a sure path to the Divine. My main goal in this life is service. I serve my family by providing for their physical needs, providing a good example for my children, and helping my wife along the path of salvation. I serve the local parish as needed. I serve my community by helping those in need, the hungry, the elderly, the sick. I serve because it is what all good Christians are called to do. As our lord served us we must serve one another (Mark 9:35) and be joyous in our service.
Fathers follow the lessons of Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” If we do our duty and serve our children well, then we will lead them down the path of righteousness from which they will not falter. The Church is strengthened by our service to our families and communities as it keeps us strong and shows others the way to Heaven. If at the end of our lives we can look back on a lifetime of service and dedication to Christ and his Church through our service to others, we will have very little to worry ourselves over. Serve others, Serve Christ and take joy in your service for where our Master is, there too we shall be.