To Serve and be Served

Lenten Service Mass
Brodie Palladinetti
Salesianum School 2026

As we celebrate Mass today, we recognize the importance of service. Service is not just hours we are required by our school to complete each year, or a chore your church makes you do, but rather a gift. As Shirley Chisholm (an American politician who was the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress in 1968) once said: “Service is the rent we pay to live on this earth.” 

The idea of service is to draw all of us closer together, to encounter God within others, and to become the person God wants us to be. While it’s important for all of us to serve others, it's equally as important to let others serve us. Here at Salesianum, we have been given the amazing opportunity to experience both of those. 

I expected my senior year to be like all the others, maybe a little easier, perhaps more difficult, but whatever it was, it was all going to be the same to me. What I did not expect was the need for others to serve me. As the year began, stress and anxiety followed; the reality of what’s to come was setting in. College and leaving home, no longer being in the comforts of the environment around me, and much, much more. I began to hold it all in, and it became a burden for me. The days were long, and it felt like a race towards end. This was until I allowed those here at school to serve me and change my mindset. 

I, as well as many of you, felt that reaching out was a sign of weakness, but it is one of the strongest things you can do as a man. Reaching out connected me to my parents and to the services provided here at the Wellness Center. It allowed me to get the help I needed and find relief in talking to others. When I initially thought about opening up, I thought I would have been turned away or viewed differently, but I was welcomed with open arms. My parents and the Wellness team met me with love and understanding. They didn’t judge me or view me differently. Something my parents told me when I was struggling has really stuck with me. It is written on a piece of paper taped to my door and reads: “The nerves and worries will come and go, but just remember to breathe and find the good.” 

This is something that has shifted my mindset from a sense of fear and worry to one that finds opportunity, love, and support in my environment around me. I think about it every day before I leave the house, and I try to find the good in everybody I meet.  

In January, I had the opportunity to put those words into action on the BRIDGE trip to El Salvador. During the trip, my classmates and I were able to offer our services to others, but not in the way you would assume. We didn’t build houses or a well, we didn’t raise money for the members of the community, and we didn’t bring anything to improve their way of living. Instead, we brought our hearts. The method of service was listening to those around us. Listening, understanding, and learning from those who have been through countless tragic events. Civil war, gang violence, families separated, and much more. Things that we couldn't even begin to imagine, they were experiencing in their everyday lives. We weren’t there to solve their problems, but to listen, as that was more than enough for them. I believe my own experiences with anxiety and learning to accept help from others allowed me to connect with the people of El Salvador. The love that was given to me allowed me to give love to others. As St. Francis de Sales said, “Hearts speak to hearts. Lips only speak to ears.” 

If we are only hearing what they are saying, not truly understanding, neither of us gains from that experience.

Giving is what builds relationships. Giving each other love is what solidifies it. As we grow and become more aware of ourselves and our surroundings, it’s important to focus on what we owe others.

Continue serving and loving those around you, but also let them serve you, as it builds a stronger bond amongst us all. To us seniors, we are about to embark upon a new part of our lives, a part where our skills and experiences will allow us to serve others at a new level. As we all move on in life, faculty, staff, students, and friends, we must continue our call to serve. This may seem scary, but what I’ll say to all of you is what my parents said to me. The worry and nervousness will come and go, but just remember to breathe and find the good. 

Claim the name, Live Jesus!