Our Holy Father Sylvester, Pope of Rome.
Pre-feast of Theophany.
Hebrews 11:8,11-16; Mark 9:33-41.
Read Mark 9:33-41
The Greek word for servant is “diakonos” which is where the English word for deacon comes from. The desire to be served rather than to serve is probably the main difference between prestige in this world, compared to the next world. One of the more interesting aspects of Christianity is the way in which it understands greatness. For the most part society associates greatness with those who are served by others. Christianity, on the other hand, views greatness with those who serve others. This is one of the main roles of deacons, to serve others and one of the titles of the head of the Church, the Pope, is the servant of the servants of God. So, this idea of being a servant to others is deeply rooted in the clerical orders of the Church. Those who receive ordination to the clerical state do so in order to serve the other members of the Church. Thus we see that meekness and humility are the foundations of the Christian faith and the way in which Jesus taught us to follow Him.