Week 6: Call to Service with Integrity and Compassion

LEARNING CONTENT and is synthesized in the

Introduction: precept "You must love your neighbor
as yourself" (Matthew 22:39).
The three missionary values on Service,
Compassion and Integrity determine the A quote from Pope Francis on service and
character is common to all.  Their contribution to charity:
the world became extra-ordinary due to the “Love and charity, are service,
selfless love and commitment they shared in helping others, serving others. There
their work.  Our missionaries, headed by our are many people who spend their
own CICM founder Rev. Fr. Theophile lives in this way, in the service of
Verbist, changed the world as they shared others. …When you forget yourself
their zealous character in their sacrifices and and think of others, this is love! And
commitments in uplifting the livelihood of with the washing of the feet the Lord
communities, especially their spiritual life. teaches us to be servants, and above
all, servants as He was a servant to
In order to catch the genuine CICM us, for every one of us.”
missionary charism (to go to places where one
is most needed) with a pastoral tone (of service
to others), there is a need for “Envisioning a Works of Charity, Justice and Coexistence
Revitalized Social Engagement.” Being The mission to which Christ calls the
missionaries and followers of Christ, we have Church clearly includes works of charity and
been taught about charity work through the justice. Throughout his public ministry, Jesus
gospels and various practices like outreaches. It demonstrated the degree to which we are to
is our religious duty to serve others whether provide service to others in need while working
those people are a part of our religious to change the social conditions that create such
community or whether they are from any needs. The Church is called both to direct
other type of community. service (works of charity, like providing food,
  clothing and shelter) and to address the root
causes of social problems (works of justice,
Lesson Proper: like changing an unjust law or social
On Service  structure).
Another missionary value is the Spirit
of Service Jesus’ own mission was characterized
Service primarily involves from the beginning by what the Church has
performing one's religious duty as a come to call social ministry or outreach and
creature toward God, and fulfilling service to others. In the synagogue, Jesus read
one's moral responsibility of meeting from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah:
the needs of others. To serve God is
the primary obligation of human “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
beings, personally and socially, to be because he has anointed me to bring
done in acts of worship and prayer; glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me
and in acts of virtue as prescribed by to proclaim liberty to captives and
the natural and revealed laws of recovery of sight to the blind, to let the
God. This corresponds to the first oppressed go free, and to proclaim a
three commandments of the year acceptable to the Lord.” (Luke
Decalogue, and is summarized in the 4:16-22)
precept to "love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, Jesus continually modeled and
and with all your mind" (Matthew mandated such service to others as a
22:37). To serve others is the primary requirement for discipleship. Later,
secondary obligation of a person, the letter of James reminds the early Christian
deriving from the preceding duty and community that faith without works is dead. (Jas
depending on it. This corresponds to 2:14-17) Already the faithful were in need of
the last seven commandments of God encouragement to persist in lives of service
to others as an important part of their spread hope. And one of the best ways to do
Christian call. that is by serving others selflessly at work.

In our own time, the U.S. Bishops have The way we approach our work each
issued a clear reminder to the Church of this and every day matters. Think about it. From the
essential element of service. In the 1993 first interaction you have with a coworker (how
statement, Communities of Salt and Light: you say “good morning” … or don’t), to the
Reflections on the Social Ministry of the Parish, emails you write, to the work you produce for a
they said: project, a client, your boss – your output is
someone else’s input.
The central message is simple: our
faith is profoundly social. We cannot Someone has to process the way you
be truly Catholic unless we hear and say something to them, and what you write in
heed the Church’s call to serve those each email. Someone has to base decisions
in need and work for justice and they make on the accuracy of the data you
peace. We see the parish dimension of provide. Coworkers have to decide to what
social ministry not as an added burden, extent they can trust and rely on you,
but as part of what keeps a parish alive especially when they need support. Your
and makes it truly Catholic. Effective commitment to getting work done on time
social ministry helps the parish not only impacts another’s ability to meet a project
do more, but be more—more of a deadline. And the people you work with every
reflection of the Gospel, more of a day are watching how you and others
worshipping and evangelizing respond to all of the challenging situations,
people, more of a faithful community. and gauging how they will respond.

There can be no fidelity to Christ, his Whether you’re aware of it or not, the
teaching or his Church without the element way you approach the challenges at work
of service—both charity and justice—on each day influences the people around
behalf of others. By means of collaboration you. Are you serving others at work, or are
and integration, genuine service brings you more focused on getting your own
together liturgy, formation, outreach and needs met?
action into a sense of common mission.
CHOOSING TO SERVE RATHER THAN BE Unless we’re intentional about serving
SERVED others, it will always be too easy to be
influenced by the stress and negativity that
The act of service was best modeled by impacts many workplaces, and add fuel to an
Jesus Christ. Addressing His followers, Jesus already burning fire of self-centeredness, fear
stated, “For even the Son of Man did not and negativity. Jesus taught us a different
come to be served, but to serve, and to give way – he taught us to think of ourselves less
His life as a ransom for many” (Mark and others more.
10:45). He preceded that by saying, “whoever
wishes to be first among you shall be slave Jesus came to serve us  – to pay the
of all” (Mark 10:44). price for our sins, teach us how to live and
work, and empower us with his Holy Spirit. In
 The recent onslaught of bad news John 15, Jesus tells us exactly how to gain the
can throw the best of us off our game.  Add to strength we need for each day, and make our
that the challenges occurring in workplaces all work and our lives fruitful – abide in him. He tells
around us every day – stress, conflict, us very directly that apart from him, we can do
insecurity and even job loss – and it’s easy to nothing. But when his words remain in us –
become overwhelmed wondering what, if when we abide in Jesus, the Word made flesh
anything, we can do to make a difference. (John 1:14) – we can ask whatever we wish and
it will be done to bring God glory (John 15:7-
But there are some very real and 8). Jesus gives us the power and ability to
impactful things we can, and must, do. As serve others and do our work with
Christians, we have a responsibility to excellence each day.
 When Jesus and His disciples entered What is service-learning?
the upper room, the disciples looked for a Service-learning combines service to the
prominent place to sit; Jesus looked for a place community with student learning in a way
to serve. As they awkwardly waited to be that improves both the student and the
served,  Jesus took a towel and basin and community. As they participate in their
washed their feet (John 13:1-15). We community service projects, actively
Christians like to refer to ourselves as meeting the needs of communities, students
servants, but we are seldom content to be develop practical skills, and a sense of civic
treated as servants. We are tempted to adopt responsibility.
the world’s evaluation of importance. But when
we look to Jesus as our model, we see that it Service-learning is a method of teaching
takes a far more noble character to serve than to through which students apply their academic
be served. skills and knowledge to address real-life needs
in their own communities.
Christians who seek the common good are
given this same opportunity to review their It provides a compelling reason to
position in life and see if they can offer any learn, teaches the skills of civic participation
support among their neighbors. and develops an ethic of service and civic
responsibility. It increases motivation and
“How much willingness do we have to take retention of academic skills as specific
action? In this time of pandemic, where do learning goals are tied to community
we place ourselves? needs. By solving real problems and addressing
real needs, students learn to apply classroom
As we restrict our time outside of our learning to a real-world context. At the same
homes, we nevertheless find inspiration in the time, students provide valuable services to
selfless actions of those continuing to minister to schools and communities.
the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of
others. Doctors, nurses, cleaning crews, food Academic service-learning helps us
workers, teachers, priests, religious, and many achieve academic goals by enabling students to
others on the front lines of this crisis are make connections between their course work
faithfully doing their duties wherever they are and the real world as they apply their knowledge
called. and skills to real world situations. It also helps
us achieve citizenship goals as students
If Compassion is a verb, and so with appreciate the importance of individual
Service.  Service is more on giving commitments of time and energy to enhance
assistance to others and a fulfillment of a the quality of life in their own communities.
task to be done.  In school activities and
immersions, students develop the value of In addition to academic and citizenship
service by volunteering themselves in goals, students develop leadership and
participating in the CICM’s school activities in interpersonal skills through their participation in
and out of the school.  Aside from their service-learning projects. These experiences
involvement in school’s activities, they also will enhance the self-esteem of students,
extend themselves by volunteering in making them more self-confident.
outside’s activities like serving in their own
Churches and being part of gift-giving to the Service-learning programs offer
less fortunate ones, or donating blood as valuable opportunities for career exploration and
advocates of saving lives.  Their ministry in enables them acquire career related
the Church is being developed because CICM experiences as they complete their course of
school instill in them the value of service inside study.
the campus.  So, as they relate with other
people outside, the value of service is carried At a societal level, it is important for
out. Giving emphasis on primary component people to be involved and aware of their
and core value of USL, Louisian students communities so they can assist each other
strive to manifest Christian Living through and be more conscientious
SERVICE-LEARNING-PROGRAM. individuals. Creating opportunities for young
people increases their involvement. Finally, it
instills the habit of performing a service for
others. Students who engage early on often
continue service work for the rest of their
lives.

Service is a ministry.  Our pastoral

ministry should be encouraged because it is
the foundation of student’s fulfillment in
doing their pastoral work.  Working has a
salvific mission.  It does not aim for an end,
but aims for fulfillment. 
 
The more time we spend examining
what it means to serve others well, it comes
down to allowing our lives to be
interrupted. Serving others means making
space for their existence and seeing them as
valuable and worthy to serve and be served,
simply because God views them that way.

When we’re struggling to make sense of

how we could ever live out a life of service to
others, I hope we’ll remember the words of
Jesus:

“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and

whoever loses their life for my sake will find
it.”
Never have we more urgently needed
courageous Christians who are intentional about
allowing Christ’s love to shine through them in
the field, academe, marketplace, institutions
(and the world) than we do now. Encourage
and support those around you this week by
putting in the extra effort to serve them. It
just might make a world of a difference.

     - Matthew 10:39