Framed in my office is the Papal Bull that was presented in this place on the day that I was ordained as a bishop. This document begins with the big-name Francisco, of course Francis, and then next comes a title of the Holy Father. So there would be lots of options, right? He could be the Vicar of Christ. He could be the successor of Peter Bishop of Rome, but no the privileged title that’s printed right underneath his name is Servus Servorum Dei, The Servant of the Servants of God. 

This title goes way back. This goes back to Pope Gregory the Great, around the beginning of the 7th century, I guess. At the time there was some dispute about proper titles for the great patriarchs the great leaders of the churches, east and west, and Pope Gregory insisted — no not something that is so exalting of me but instead I want to remind everyone who is a follower of Jesus and particularly the successor of Peter is to be the servant of the servants of God. Furthermore, that title, Servant of the Servants of God, reminds all the other bishops that their servants too, in case they’re forgetting that and by extension all of us.

So, in the Gospel today we hear Jesus confronting his disciples, who we’re told are arguing about who is the greatest just after Jesus. He has told them that he’s going to go and lay down his life for them. So, Jesus reminds them that their mission is not to be the greatest by human standards but instead to be a servant. He says, “if anyone wishes to be first, he shall become the last of all and the servant of all.”

That is the command for any of us who desire to be great in the kingdom of God — that we’re going to be servants.

Now back in October, just a couple weeks afterward ordination I was able to go and thank Pope Francis for what he had done, and it was very touching the way he was very attentive to me as an individual, as a new bishop. That was beautiful. The most poignant thing for me, however, was something that you couldn’t see on the large TV screens in the square. There was a process of Pope Francis getting out of his car to the chair where he was going to sit, obviously suffering profoundly — tremendous effort for him to get from his car over to the chair. Lots of people helping him. He was wincing in pain at that time. I don’t know about you but when I’m feeling poorly it’s not usually my desire to go out and talk to 50,000 of my friends. I want to be left alone. What that taught me was how determined this man was to serve when it would have been so much easier just to go away and be by himself because he wasn’t feeling well. No, he knew that he wanted to be a servant. So, clearly, we have a great servant who has our Holy Father. 

So what are we praying for today? Well, we’re praying for probably what he wants. He wants to continue to serve as long as possible because the evidence was very clear when we were in that audience at Saint Peter’s Square. So, we’re praying that he, God willing, he can continue to be that Servant of the Servants of God or we’re praying that this privileged time of his illness, maybe his last illness, will be a final witness to his determination by showing us his weakness that God can be strong through him. A privileged time of service.

In any case what we’ve gathered to do today is what believers are doing throughout the world. We’ve come to commend Pope Francis to God’s perfect mercy. That the Lord who called him to the sacred work might continue to provide for him watch over him and guide him to the very end. We know that when we are in God’s hands and his perfect mercy that all will be well.

So heavenly Father, we commend our brother, our Holy Father, Pope Francis to your care and we ask that you will continue to guide him as the great example of us all — the Servant of the Servants of God.