January 22

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. — Matt 20:28 BSB

The art of photography is now so advanced that an entire newspaper can be captured in miniature, so small it can be carried in a tiny pendant, and yet every word and image remains clear and perfect.

In the same way, the entire life of Christ is captured in one simple phrase: “not to be served, but to serve.” Christ didn’t come to be served—if that had been His goal, He would have stayed in heaven, where angels worshiped and attended to Him. Instead, He came to serve. He spent His life doing good, forgetting Himself completely, serving all who would receive His help. In the end, He gave His life in the ultimate act of service, offering it as a ransom for others.

If we want to be like Christ, we must ask Him to print His image on our hearts. But this image is not some vague idea of perfection. Monks once thought they were becoming like Christ by withdrawing from the world to live in isolation, but that’s not what His life shows us. To be like Christ is to serve others. Instead of fleeing the world, we are called to live among people, to serve them, to seek their good, and to give our lives for them.