In Service
In Service
The Apostle spoke about the diversity of gifts, according to the measure of faith that God has allotted to each one, saying: “If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching” (Romans 12:6–7).
Today, we would like to reflect on the topic of service.
In Service
When the Lord spoke about the gifts given in faith, He placed service at the forefront of these gifts, thereby showing us its great importance.
Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself said of His own mission: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
If the Lord Christ Himself came to serve, what then shall we say about ourselves? And what great honor service must have! If Christ took the form of a servant in order to serve humanity, what should human beings do? Just as Christ came to serve, so also His apostles were servants—whether in spiritual service or in social service.
From the spiritual perspective, when they appointed the seven deacons, they said of themselves: “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).
Saint Paul speaks about this spiritual service, saying: “And has given us the ministry of reconciliation… Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18, 20).
And he says to his disciple Timothy: “Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). In this service, he said of Saint Mark that he is “useful to me for ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).
As for other kinds of service, Saint Paul also says: “Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me” (Acts 20:34).
And he praises the Hebrews, saying: “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10).
The Fathers did not have a spirit of domination, but a spirit of service.
They served people and offered themselves on their behalf. In the priesthood, everyone who was ordained to serve a church considered himself a servant of that church—serving the holy sacraments, serving God, and serving the people.
Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, when praying for his people, said: “I beseech You, O Lord, on behalf of my masters, Your servants.”
He regarded the people whom he served as bishop to be his masters.
The word “servant” was not merely a title, but a lived reality.
The Fathers labored in service until their last breath: “In journeys often… in hunger and thirst… in cold and nakedness… in weariness and toil… in sleeplessness… in fastings” (2 Corinthians 11:26–27). They were “watching out for your souls, as those who must give account” (Hebrews 13:17).
They were like candles that melt in order to give light to others.
How beautiful is the saying of the spiritual elder concerning service: “Wherever you go, be the least of your brothers and their servant.”
The desire for greatness is not a sign of strength—it is a temptation.
True strength belongs to the one who trains himself to be a servant.
Saint Abba Sarapamon Abu Tarha, while he was a bishop, used to carry food to the homes of the poor at night in secret. He would knock on their doors, leave what he carried at the door, and depart joyfully, delighted in his service.
Abba Moses the Black used to carry water to the monks’ cells.
Saint Paphnutius trained himself to perform the lowliest services in the monastery—tasks many refused—such as cleaning toilets, sweeping the monastery, carrying out refuse, and other cleaning duties.
The Fathers performed these services with joy, without complaint.
They volunteered for such work without being asked, carrying it out with deep humility and happiness in serving their brothers.
A saint might see a leper, carry him to his cell, serve him, and provide for him for three months, seeking the blessing of serving him.
Many Fathers patiently devoted long periods to serving the sick and the elderly, as John the Short did with his aged father, Abba Pambo, with remarkable endurance until he departed in peace and blessed him. Abba Pambo said of him: “This is an angel, not a man.”
When the Fathers saw someone exhausted by work, they would lovingly extend their hands to help carry the burden, as the Lord said: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Two Aspects of Service
In service, we must consider two things: love of service and the spirit of service.
Regarding love of service, a person loves to help everyone who is in need and unable to help himself. Along with this loving readiness to assist all in need, there may also be specialization in service.
Some find joy in serving orphans, giving them the tenderness of fatherhood or motherhood they have lost. Others delight in serving the sick, the elderly, senior citizens, nursery children, those living modestly, poor families, students studying away from home, or girls vulnerable to loss or moral danger.
Love of service accompanies a person at home, at work, and everywhere.
When sitting at the table to eat, such a person makes sure that those seated with him lack nothing—bringing water to one, passing salt or bread to another. When the meal ends, he helps clear the table and carry the dishes, not leaving the burden to his mother, sister, or wife.
Likewise, when he gets up from his bed, he makes it. When he removes his clothes, he does not leave them scattered, waiting for someone else to collect them.
Some people commit a double fault: they do not serve others, and at the same time they make themselves a burden on others to serve them.
The true servant is sensitive to people’s needs. He sits, reflects, and plans what others need and how to provide for them.
This is also the work of the active shepherd and successful spiritual servant, who studies people’s needs and organizes projects and activities that meet their spiritual and material needs—without waiting to be asked.
Many people criticize others, but few care about correcting them.
Criticism is easy; anyone can do it. But restoring those who err is true spiritual work—filled with practical love and beneficial to the Kingdom, because “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Matthew 9:12; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:31).
It is easy to expel a troubled child from your class. What is required is to reform him.
Indeed, it is a deep and essential service for some to dedicate themselves to serving troubled children and students. How great is the reward of such service before God!
How beautiful it is to serve places where the name of Christ is not known at all, or to serve those who mock religion and faith, or those who have never been served by the Church and do not wish to be.
Most servants seek easy, ready-made service—entering into work they did not labor to establish and building on foundations laid by others.
But great strugglers are those who labor to establish new services where none existed before, welcoming others to join in their labor. This is what the Lord Christ Himself did, leaving us an example to follow.
The Lord said: “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2).
Everywhere, we find this need.
Yet surprisingly, despite the great need for service, we find servants competing and quarreling over one place of service, while leaving many other fields unattended.
In their rivalry, they do not present an example of spiritual service. Instead, they become a stumbling block, losing the spirit of love, cooperation, and self-denial. At the same time, many fields are wide open and ready to receive every willing servant, but they are ignored out of attachment to a particular position or place—rather than love for the human soul wherever it may be.
If we truly loved needy souls everywhere, we would never compete over service. The fields are vast. Service is self-giving, not competition.
The one who competes in service is concerned with himself, not with service.
If service truly fills his heart, he will work for its success by any means and through any person—even someone else. What matters is the success of the service.
The one who loves service does not complain when its burdens grow heavy. On the contrary, he rejoices in its growth and finds joy in carrying the burdens of others, just as Christ carried the burdens of the whole world.
Therefore, such a servant does not refuse any service offered to him, nor does he prefer one service over another—accepting this and rejecting that. Such behavior reveals personal preference, not concern for others’ needs.
Service is wide enough for everyone. Whoever wishes will find a place.
How beautiful it is to find a place in service for honorable people who have retired—benefiting from their free time, dignity of age, life experience, and diverse gifts and abilities. Service gives them vitality and activity, making them feel that their mission in life has not ended, and that the Church and society still need them. Service benefits from them, and they also benefit from service.
There are also wide fields for women’s service in the Church—whether in Sunday School, social service, supervising church cleanliness, or organizing women’s activities.
A woman may dedicate herself to service and serve in the role of a deaconess. In this field, she may supervise certain services such as nurseries, vocational workshops, organizing women during Communion and Baptism, visiting families and the sick, participating in bereavement ministry, and supervising student and expatriate women’s residences.
Truly, as the Lord said, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places.”
Not only in eternity, but even on earth, there is a place and a role for everyone in the house of God.
