Whoever wishes to become great shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to become first among you shall be the slave of all.
–Mark 10:43-44–
I once had the privilege of living in a rectory with Father Joel Kiefer. Before being ordained a priest, he spent six years in the army. He tells great stories about his life as a cadet at West Point. Here’s one.
Once, Cadet Kiefer and the rest of his squad had just finished a long march, and they were hungry. They all filed into the mess hall and sat down at their places, obediently awaiting permission to eat. Father Kiefer describes what happened next:
Our squad leader baited us by asking the whole squad at the table, “Who’s hungry?” We all responded in the affirmative. Then he said, “Who’s really hungry?” This time, three of us answered positively. The others who didn’t respond had, by this time, caught on to his “formation” tactics. Our squad leader asked a third time, “Who’s hound-dog hungry?” (In other words, “Who’s really, really, hungry?”) Only I, Cadet Kiefer, responded in the affirmative. He gave me alone permission to eat. After a number of huge mouthfuls, he asked me how the food was and proceeded to tell my squad mates how “special” I was. I was the last to notice his technique of “ratting out the pig.” I ordered arms (put my fork down) and refused to eat, even though he told me to do so. A few mouthfuls of grub taught me the lesson of team.
Cadet Kiefer got the message. He should never have allowed himself the privilege of eating a meal without making sure the rest of his squad was given the same opportunity. Each member of the company must look out for the well being of the others. That’s how battles are won. That’s how soldiers survive. The next time Joel was given permission to eat while the rest of his company looked on, he responded: “Sir, I will not eat until the rest of the men are allowed to eat, Sir!”
Many people today believe that it’s a wimpy thing to be a Catholic. Yet a confirmed Catholic is nothing less than a soldier of Christ. The Church on earth is rightly called the Church Militant, because we are fighting the battle of earthly life and combating the forces of evil. That’s why, in the Rite of Confirmation prior to Vatican II, the bishop gave the person who was being confirmed a slap on the cheek. This was a reminder to be a faithful soldier of Christ, to be brave in the fight against evil.
Not surprisingly, the same rule that Cadet Kiefer learned at West Point applies also to us as members of the Army of Christ. We are not to seek our own comfort, glory, or safety at the expense of others. Instead, we must look out for one another.
That’s how evil is conquered. That’s how souls are saved.