How to be a good server
Do you know what a privilege this is? Do you know what an incredible responsibility, awesome experience, and wonderful way to serve God this is?
Do you realize, that when you are up in the Sanctuary, when the Priest raises the Most Holy Sacrament at the Consecration, countless Angels surround our Lord. And you are right there. Closer than anyone other than the Priest himself, to this amazing mystery.
Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist. You believe this, Right? How should you act, while you are serving the King of Kings? How should you look? How should you walk, sing, pray and watch?
You should try to look your very best. This is the King of Kings we are talking about! How would you dress to see an earthly king if you ever went to see one? How much better you should dress to see the King of Heaven and Earth!
Walk as if the Angels were walking with you. As if you were one of them. Silently, carefully, respectfully and with a purpose.
Sing as if you could hear the Angels singing among you. It doesn't matter if you are the worst singer in the world, Don't be embarrassed. God made you, and your voice, and He loves you. It doesn't matter what anyone else in the whole world thinks, you are there to serve God, not man, and you should sing for God.
Pray with as much reverence and fervency as you can muster, while still being aware of the task at hand. While serving, we often don't get much time to kneel and pray without having a task to do. But that doesn't mean you don't pray at all. The Mass itself is the Highest form of prayer that we have. Participate! Respond as if you were being talked to directly! If you can though, it might be a good idea to take a little time before or after Mass to pray, and don't forget to thank God for the wonderful responsibility you have now.
Watch as if at any moment, a miracle could happen. Because one does. In every single Mass. The bread and wine are transformed into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
There is also another reason you should watch. Especially during Communion time. After you have receive our Lord, quietly and Prayerfully, watch others receive Him as you are praying. It's beautiful, to watch so many people receive Jesus. Children, Elderly, Young men and women, all come to the Lord. But, sometimes someone makes their way into Mass, who does not have the good intentions that others do.
It is sad, and scary, to know that there are some people in this world, who want to take the Most Holy Eucharist, and do terrible things to Him. We cannot allow this. Watch to make sure that each person consumes the Most Holy Sacrament. If you see someone who has taken the Host, and not Consumed it (unless it is in a Pix) please tell the Priest! This is an emergency, and should be addressed immediately! We need to make sure that the Eucharist is safe! This is our LORD! I don;t want to scare or distract you, but it does occasionally happen.
When you are serving, you have a very important job. If there is one word I want you to take away from this lesson, it is REVERENCE. Reverence is so important, and in my opinion, the one of the keys to being a good server. Every time you pass in front of the Tabernacle, either Genuflect or make a Deep Bow. If you are unable to do one of these for any reason, at least bow your Head! Keep your hand folded prayerfully at all times, unless you are carrying or holding something. Pay attention. Do not play with your Cincture, daydream, chat with the other servers, twiddle your thumbs or allow yourself to be distracted in any way from the very important tasks at hand and prayer.
Allow yourself to absorb the wonder you are witnessing. (and this goes for all Masses you attend, not just when you are serving.) You are watching a Miracle. Each time you look at the Host, you are looking at Jesus Himself, even though our human eyes just see a Host. Angels surround Him at all times. You are seeing this all so closely. Don't be afraid to be amazed, and have it show.
If people in the congregation see you looking in Wonder at Jesus, perhaps they will too, like we all should be. If they see you being reverent, perhaps they will be too, as we all should. If they see you participating fully in the Mass, with every fiber of your being, perhaps they will too, like we all should be!
But if they see you daydreaming, not paying attention, not being respectful, not participating fully, then they might not either. We need to inspire others to do the right thing!
Finally, please remember that everyone makes mistakes. Try to preform each task the best that you can, but if you do make a mistake, it's not the end of the world. Everyone makes a mistake at some point. Don't panic.
Never, ever, ever let serving at Mass become a bore. Don't just go through the motions. This is a privilege! Don't take it for granted. This is something that you should be thankful for. Remember that you are serving God.
