As we enter the holiest days on the Church’s cal-endar, The Triduum and the Easter Season, our Church calls us to consider God’s desire for us to live a Christian life of service—even in the midst of a society that calls for self-greatness as the model du jour for success.

Many folks count as a "blessing" the number of friends they have acquired—from Facebook to twitter to their blog stats—numbers, or "likes," matter a lot. But for Jesus, His entrance into the City and His Passion, lead Him by choice to be alone and abandoned. In deed, Jesus gives us another way to view the blessings of friendship: not as acquiring friends for our own gratification or as a quest for popularity, but rather Jesus sees friendship as a conduit to serve, to love, and to give of oneself.

In today’s second reading to the Philippians, St. Paul celebrates the idea that Jesus did not desire attention nor did He seek to be equal to God. Instead, He emptied Himself and became the model for us as living a Chris-tian life in service to others. After His entrance into the City, Jesus was alone by choice—alone in the garden, alone at the trial, and alone on the Cross—Jesus fulfilled His Father’s Will to serve others—by suffering, dying and rising again for you, me, and everyone in all ages so that we might live forever.

Many folks today seek "greatness" by the numbers—by those who "friend them" them or at least "like" them on Facebook, or follow them on twitter, or align with them in a group. Christ calls us to seek friendship for another reason-so that we may serve others in need with our hearts, hands, and souls thus making the Kingdom of God present now. I suggest we all take a good look at the insert reflecting on our parish’s youth mission trip experi-ences as a fine example of brotherly and sisterly service— recognizing how serving others benefits us all. As noted in that reflection: God is with us in the joys and the sor-rows of life. May we make Easter an earthly reality for all in need.