The other disciples, who had heard the dialogue of Jesus with the two brothers, began to be indignant. Then said the Lord unto them, Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles oppress them, and the mighty subdue them. It shall not be so among you: whoever wishes to become great, let him be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you, let him be slave of all; for the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life in redemption for many
Christ's service to humanity is aimed at salvation. Our attitude must be to serve God and others with a supernatural vision, especially with regard to salvation, but also in all the occasions that arise every day. To serve even those who do not appreciate it, without expecting anything in return. It is the best opportunity to give one's life for others, in an effective and discreet way, which is hardly noticeable, and to combat one's own selfishness, which tends to rob us of joy.
Most professions involve direct service to others: housewives, shopkeepers, teachers, housekeepers, and all of them, even if less directly, are a service. May we not lose sight of this aspect, which will help to sanctify us in our work.
Serving others requires mortification and the presence of God, and forgetfulness of self. At times, this spirit of service will clash with the mentality of many who think only of themselves. For us Christians it is "our pride" and our dignity, because in this way we imitate Christ, and because to serve voluntarily, out of love, it is necessary to bring into play many human and supernatural virtues. "This dignity is expressed in the readiness to serve, according to the example of Christ, who did not come to be served, but to serve. If, therefore, in the light of this attitude of Christ one can truly reign only by serving, at the same time, serving demands such spiritual maturity that it is necessary to define it as reigning. In order to be able to serve others worthily and effectively, one must know how to master oneself, one must possess the virtues that make such mastery possible "