CAFOD is the official aid agency for the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
With your help, we reach out to people living in hard-to-reach places, in war zones and those who are discriminated against.
Crispen Marufu with a newly-constructed water tank.
But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
What does it mean to be great? In today’s gospel, the mother of James and John asks Jesus to give her sons a place of honour in the Kingdom. In his reply Jesus reveals that it is in service, not status, that true greatness can be found.
The servant leadership of which Jesus speaks is a leadership of love – the leadership Jesus himself shows in serving others and giving his life. True greatness can be found in those who do the hard work and give of themselves for the common good.
Crispen Marufu is a leader for a village of 85 families in Rushinga, north of Zimbabwe. Alongside the other leaders, he works to address issues such as early marriage, gender-based violence and water insecurity. When asked about a better world, he says: “For me, a better world needs all of us, which means that I have a role to play. The nation has a role to play. For us to have better communities, for us to be better people. Each one of us has a role to play.”
There is a greatness that awaits each one of us, if we play our part in loving and serving our neighbours and so helping build a better world.
Prayer
Loving God
grant us the grace
to give of ourselves,
in service and solidarity,
and so together help
to build a better world.
Amen.
Act
Be encouraged by our video reflecting how with joy, hope and love we can build a better world together.