What it means to be a servant! A reflection on Canon Fogarty R.I.P

In the early hours of Monday Morning a great friend of both the diocese and this parish died Canon Fogarty. After over 60 years of dedicated service to the diocese and this local area he will be sadly missed. I have spent some of the week as the news filtered out listening to people remember him and with my reflection on the Gospel this weekend have been able to see why people have remembered him so fondly.

The Gospel readings speak of being a servant to others. To be great in the Kingdom of heaven means to be a servant to others. The word servant has many negative connotations to it. We may think of the servants in the programmes such as Downton abbey or Upstairs downstairs but the Christian servant is more than this idea of being a paid servant for a Lord or Lady.

To be a servant in the Christian sense is a privilege and also a responsibility it means to be with people through both good and bad times. Jesus wanted to stress that it was not about having power and position “This is not to happen to you”

 It is being able to be open enough not to be shocked by what you both see and hear. We all have this vocation, as a parent we are servants to our children. It is also very important in the ministry of a priest.

As priests we have the immense privilege of walking with people, sometimes for a short time, through the joys and sorrows of life. I know from what people have told me that the Canon did this countless times. He both buried loved ones but also baptised others and walked with them as they grew up. There was a succession of young people who would seek the canon to go through their work for languages and took a keen interest in their further studies. I am sure like me seeking that little touch of wisdom we so often get from those who are older than us.

To be a servant then is also about thinking about others and not your own desires, they come second to the needs of others. It is about giving respect and equal dignity to all those whom we come in contact with.

I have learnt, sometimes the hard way, that to be servant for others is both hard and sometimes very frustrating. But, if we live a life of service to others we are living the authentic Christian way. We look to others who have gone before us, recognizing that they too are sinners and in need of God’s love and learn from them.