Being Witnesses of Mercy – SERVE

One chapter at a time from the book by Nino Savarino, Governor of the Misericordia of Rosolini, friend of spazio + spadoni and collaborator on various projects and the blog.

From Psalm 82 (81), 3-4:

Defend the weak and the orphan; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Serving, this is the way

Pope Francis said: “To serve is not an expression of politeness: it is to do as Jesus did, who, summing up His life in a few words, said that He came «not to be served, but to serve» (Mk 10:45). Thus said the Lord. Therefore, if we want to follow Jesus, we must travel the path that He Himself traced out, the path of service. Our fidelity to the Lord depends on our willingness to serve. And this, we know, costs, because it ‘tastes of the cross’. But, as our care and availability toward others grow, we become freer inside, more like Jesus. The more we serve, the more we sense the presence of God. Especially when we serve those who have nothing to give us in return, the poor, embracing their difficulties and needs with tender compassion: and there we discover that we, in turn, are loved and embraced by God.”

“A person’s value no longer depends on the role they hold, the success they achieve, the job they do, or the money they have in the bank; no, no, it does not depend on that; greatness and success, in God’s eyes, have a different measure: they are measured by service. Not by what one has, but by what one gives. Do you want to be first? Serve. This is the way.”

“Serve your neighbor without using your neighbor.”

Service is a gratuitous and selfless act. For a volunteer, it is a life imperative. And when this neighbor of yours is marginalized, despised, destitute, and service appears difficult, what do you do? How do you behave? When you have to touch dirty hands with your own, smelling bodies, brothers and sisters who have let themselves go, what do you do? How do you behave?

Mother Teresa of Calcutta found strength in Jesus, because she saw and served her Lord precisely in those brothers and sisters.

Our journey will be truer, more concrete, and ever more beautiful if we gird our loins with a towel and wash the feet of our brothers and sisters.

What can we do concretely?

Visiting the sick

Jesus’ invitation to be merciful as the Father takes on a special meaning for healthcare workers.

I think of doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, caregivers, and those who attend to the sick, as well as the many volunteers who give precious time to those who suffer.

Dear healthcare workers, your service alongside the sick, carried out with love and competence, transcends the limits of the profession to become a mission.

Your hands touching the suffering flesh of Christ can be a sign of the merciful hands of the Father.

Be aware of the great dignity of your profession, as well as the responsibility it entails.

Closeness to the sick and their pastoral care is not only the task of certain ministers specifically appointed; visiting the sick is an invitation addressed by Christ to all His disciples.

How many sick and elderly people live at home and wait for a visit!

The ministry of consolation is the duty of every baptized person, mindful of Jesus’ word: «I was sick and you visited me» (Mt 25:36).

(Message of the Holy Father Francis on the occasion of the XXX World Day of the Sick, given in Rome on December 10, 2021)

Food for thought

So if one member suffers, all members suffer with it; and if one member is honored, all members rejoice with it (1 Corinthians 12:26)

Source and image: Nino Savarino, Witnesses of Mercy, pp. 38-41