Lenten Reflection: Service
28 Mar 2025 | Office for Mission and Identity (OMI)
A lot has been said about service. Sometimes, though, the focus is more on the act of service and not much is pondered about the one who does it or those who receive it. What traits should they have? What should it bring out in them? What impact is service supposed to have on people?
With all these questions, perhaps one underlying consideration is this: who is our example, ‘template’ and ultimate desire when we serve? For if we look at anything other than who and what we see on the cross, we can be easily misguided. Service can become a tool to bring about negative things – blind loyalty to those who served us but may be using us consciously or unconsciously for the wrong outcomes, doing and receiving acts of service without thought if it’s promoting unhealthy attachment or dependence, skewed concepts of power and frailty or mission and followership. Inasmuch as it ought to be a noble thing, we may have to look deeply where our service is leading us.
The word service by itself is neutral and like what we see in restaurants, governance and other industries, it can be good or bad. But if we look at Him who served us from where we are, with the clear goal of salvation, and because of love, we all know the kind of service we long for deep inside, given or received - something that frees and empowers us, that which makes us grow in compassion. Maybe we should just never stop asking: whose purpose am I serving? What is happening to me as I serve? What do I truly bring to those who I hope benefits from my service?
Marami na ang nasabi tungkol sa paglilingkod. Minsan lamang, mas nababaling ang ating tuon sa pagsasagawa nito at hindi napagninilayan nang husto ang taong nagkakaloob at tumatanggap. Anong mga katangian ang dapat nilang taglay? Ano ang nararapat na napupukaw nito sa kanila? Ano ba ang nilalayong idulot ng paglilingkod sa kapwa?
Sa lahat ng mga tanong na ito, marahil may isang pagsasaalang-alang: sino ang ating halimbawa, ginagaya at pinaka-nasa kapag naglilingkod tayo? Sapagkat kung iba ang ating binabalingan liban sa sino at ano ang nasilayan natin sa krus, maaari tayong maligaw. Ang paglilingkod ay maaaring nakapagdudulot din ng mga negatibong bagay – bulag na pagsunod sa naglingkod sa atin na maaaring kinakasangkapan tayo nang may pagmamalay o wala para sa mga maling hangad, pagsasagawa at pagtanggap ng paglilingkod nang hindi iniisip kung naghihikayat ba ito ng di-mabuting pagkapit o pagsandig, baluktot na mga pag-unawa ng kapangyarihan at kahinaan o ng misyon at pagsunod. Bagaman dakila sana ito, tila kailangan nating suriin saan tayo dinadala ng ating paglilingkod.
Ang salitang paglilingkod mismo ay hindi nagpapahiwatig ng pagkiling at tulad ng nakikita natin sa mga kainan, pamahalaan at iba pang kalakaran, maaari itong maging mabuti o masama. Subalit kung sisilayan natin Siya na naglingkod mula sa kung nasaan tayo, na may malinaw na pagnanais para sa kaligtasan, at dahil sa pag-ibig, mababatid natin ang uri ng paglilingkod na inaasam natin sa ating kaibuturan, ipinagkakaloob at tinatanggap - iyong nakapagpapalaya at nakapagpapalakas sa atin, iyong nagpapalago sa atin sa malasakit. Marahil hindi lamang tayo dapat huminto sa pagtatanong: ano ang dahilan at layon ng aking paglilingkod? Ano ang idinudulot ng pagsasagawa nito sa akin? Ano ang napupukaw ko sa mga taong aking pinaglilingkuran?
#ateneoishome #aihlentenreflections
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