Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Watching the movie "October Sky," one can sense that Homer Hickam will become a great person some day. He was once very determined in his quest to be a person knowledgeable about rockets, and he was able to give it up when his family needed him. Now with the family crisis resolved, Homer had learned to serve his family, and could return to his life ambition. It was the perfect preparation for future greatness.

Jesus spoke often of being a servant to his disciples. Greatness may or may not happen for them, but what would make them great, according to Jesus, was an understanding of how to be a servant. "Whoever wishes to be great among you," he told them, "shall be your servant." In other words, the person who learns to be a servant to others will understand true greatness.

Both the discussion of the movie "October Sky," and the Lord's words in Matthew's Gospel direct us to some very important questions for our futures. What is more important--to become great in the eyes of the world and others with our accomplishments, or to become great in the eyes of those close to us by our service to them?

It is well known that our world tends to stress the importance of accomplishment and achievement in a future career. But, Christians who manage to create great careers will not only be concerned about their futures. They will also show concern for the people around them, especially those who have helped them along the way.                   

THOUGHT
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, you teach us to serve others. Help us in our lives to determine those who need help, and then give us the grace to help them as much as we can. Be with us, we pray.

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America