Catholic priest, Fr. Brancker John, has issued a call to public officers to be “selfless in their service to humanity.”
Fr. John, the parish priest of Grand Bay, was delivering his homily at the official funeral of former government minister and member of the Dominica Parliament, Luke Taylor Corriette, at the Cathedral Chapel of Our Lady of Fair Haven on August 9, 2019.
“This business of selfless service is not just a pious expression that is right here in church. Selfless service is how communities are built and our country. People sacrifice so that others can flourish. That is how we build a nation,” Fr. Brancker John said.
He continued, “And those who sacrifice, gain so much more. They are enriched and fulfilled, because it is in giving that we receive and it is dying that we are born to eternal life. The more we try to hold on to things, the less we have and the more we are open to giving especially ourselves, the more we will be open to receiving. That’s life. Selfless service is the response to the greed that is over powering our community today. We were made for service.”
The Catholic priest reminded those present that “our existence on earth is about service, selfless service.”
“If we gain some worldly goodies during our service to God, then to God be the glory. But we need to remember, that in gaining those worldly goodies we gain them so that we can give them back. Not to hold them and use them to be more important than others because in the eyes of God we are all in the same playing field,” he stated.
“Our reason for existence brothers and sisters cannot be to gain worldly goodies, because worldly goodies cannot go with us when we die because those we leave behind will not allow us to take them with us. Life begins at death. When we are called to serve, we must do so selflessly,” the priest advised.
According to him, the death of Luke Corriette and that of anyone who was involved in public service, should “allow us to reflect on the meaning of public service and what the Lord is asking of us when he calls us to public service.
“Remember we are made for public service. Public service is a trial and involves persecution…the reward of that kind of service is not found on earth but in heaven. We were made by God for service to God,” Fr. John reminded.
Present at the funeral were President Charles Savarin and his wife, government ministers and former government minister, Urban Baron. Deputy Prime Minister Reginald Austrie represented Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
Fr. Brancker John was the main celebrant assisted by Fr. Nigel Karam and Deacon Alvin Knight.
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