The Key to Greatness!

Matthew 20:26

Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.

Today’s verse takes us back to all that we have looked at in previous verses this week.  In a culture as obsessed with “winning” as ours is, the Christian belief that greatness lies in humility, freedom in being a servant, and life in death to self is about as counter-cultural as it gets.  And what ties it all together is the self-sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, who didn’t just sit up in heaven dispensing good advice, but who “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11).  It is because of him that we must and can serve in love.

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Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog and regularly blogs for National Catholic Register. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.

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