There are many ways to serve in the life of the Church.
Some are visible.
Some are celebrated.
Some involve vestments, microphones, or at the very least a certain degree of public acknowledgment.
And then there is… taking out the trash.
Now, this is not, in most parish settings, considered a particularly glamorous ministry.
There is no commissioning liturgy.
No formal recognition in the bulletin.
No one has ever said, with great solemnity, “We now invite those gifted in waste management to come forward.”
And yet…
If the trash is not taken out, everyone notices.
Immediately.
Now, I mention this because Ordinary Time has a way of drawing our attention to precisely these kinds of moments.
The small acts.
The unnoticed tasks.
The quiet forms of service that do not attract applause but without which everything else begins to falter rather quickly.
And if we are going to talk about servanthood — and I think we should, especially on a Tuesday when enthusiasm may be slightly lower than it was on Sunday — this is exactly where we begin.
Because Jesus, as it turns out, had a great deal to say about service.
And almost none of it involved prestige.
He speaks of the greatest being the one who serves.
He kneels to wash feet.
He consistently redirects attention away from recognition and toward faithfulness.
Which suggests that the life of servanthood is not primarily about doing impressive things.
It is about doing necessary things.
Faithfully.
Consistently.
And often without anyone noticing.
Now, this is not always the form of service we are naturally drawn to.
We like to be helpful in ways that are, if possible, at least slightly visible.
There is something reassuring about knowing that one’s efforts have been observed and, ideally, appreciated.
But the Kingdom of God seems to operate on a different scale.
A quiet kindness offered without announcement.
A task completed simply because it needed to be done.
A willingness to take responsibility for something that no one else is particularly eager to claim.
This is the texture of servanthood.
Now, I will admit that this does not always feel particularly inspiring.
There is very little poetry in a garbage bag.
And yet — even here — grace is present.
Because when we serve in these small, ordinary ways, we begin to reflect something true about the life of Christ.
Not in grand gestures…
…but in faithful ones.
We become people who notice what needs doing.
Who act without waiting for recognition.
Who understand that love often looks like taking care of the things that allow others to flourish.
And yes—occasionally — that includes taking out the trash.
So if today presents you with a task that seems entirely unremarkable…
If there is something that needs doing and no one is particularly lining up to do it…
If you find yourself quietly thinking, “Well, I suppose I could…”
Take heart.
You may be closer to the heart of servanthood than you realize.
Because in the Kingdom of God, greatness is not measured by visibility.
It is measured by love.
And love, more often than not, looks like showing up…
and doing the thing that needs to be done.
Even if no one writes it in the bulletin.
Alleluia.
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Companion Prayer
Servant Lord,
You call us to love
in ways both seen and unseen.
Give us humility to serve quietly,
faithfulness in small tasks,
and joy in caring for others.
Help us to notice what is needed,
to act with generosity,
and to reflect your love in all we do.
And in every act of service,
remind us that we are following you.
Amen.