(Day Five) St. Jude, Servant of God's People
St. Jude was privileged to accompany Jesus nearly every day. He learned from the
Lord how God loves us and how we must love one another. At times we may want others to serve us, to do our bidding and to attend to our needs.
Sometimes we compete with others in order to be first or the best. Like St. Jude, we need
to learn from Jesus, "Anyone who wants to be great, must be the servant of the rest, and anyone who wants to be first, must
be the slave of all, like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served but to serve and to
give his life to redeem many." (Mt 20:26-28)
At the Last Supper Jesus showed St. Jude and the other apostles how they were to
serve. He washed their feet and then said, "I have set an example for you, so that you will
do just what I have done for you." (Jn13:15)
St. Jude did not look for a reward for doing good for others. Rather, he lived what
Jesus taught, "When you have done all you have been told to do, say, 'We are merely
servants; we have done no more than our duty.'" (Lk 17:10)
St. Jude fulfilled the greatest commandments identified by Jesus: to love God with our
whole heart, our whole soul, and our whole mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. (Mt
22:37-40) Jesus wants us to love like this, just as he does: "As I have loved you, so you
must love one another. If you do love one another, then everyone will know that you are
my disciples." (Jn 13:34-35)
Prayer
St. Jude, although you were chosen by Jesus as one of the twelve apostles, you learned
not to be proud, not to pursue honors or the highest places. Instead, you humbled yourself
in the service of your sisters and brothers. We pray that you help us to serve with a more generous heart, to
sacrifice our own interest for the good of others. Intercede for us with our crucified
Christ, who humbled himself on the cross, who sacrificed his life that we might live. May we imitate him by a life of
dedicated, selfless service to others. Amen.
Commitment
I will do some service for those who need it most or expect it least.
