Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Sister Ancile SSpS – Quezon City
Tuesday 7th Week of Easter
“Would You Tie Your Friend’s Shoelaces?” read the caption on a Don Bosco leaflet. The picture showed two boys, about 10 or 11 years old. One stood with his foot slightly extended forward, while the other squatted in front of him, tying his shoelace. Both were grinning widely, enjoying the moment. A simple yet powerful image — a reminder that there is dignity and a deep sense of connectedness in loving service.
In His priestly prayer, Jesus said to the Father: “I glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave me to do… I revealed Your Name to those You gave me out of the world. They belonged to You, and You gave them to me… Keep them in Your Name… so that they may be one just as We are” (John 17:4,6,11).
Here, Jesus reveals the heart of His mission: to glorify the Father by obedience and love, and to draw us into the unity He shares with the Father. This unity is not abstract — it is lived out in concrete acts of service, even in something as simple as tying a shoelace for a friend.
What would change in our lives if we truly believed that the person next to us belongs to God just as we do? If we are one in Him, then jealousy, envy, and selfishness lose their power. St. Paul reminds us: “There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4–6).
To serve others is to serve Christ Himself: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). When we see others as part of ourselves in Christ, service becomes joy, generosity becomes natural, and unity becomes possible.
Yet doubts remain. Like the father in Mark’s Gospel, we must pray: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Only by God’s grace can we begin to live in awe of this truth — that we are one in Christ, and His Spirit empowers us to love beyond measure.
To tie a shoelace for a friend may seem small, but it is a symbol of the greater unity Jesus prayed for. Let us begin now, in simple acts of service, to live out the truth that we are one in Him.
“Lord, help me to believe and to live the unity You prayed for, that in serving others I may glorify You.”
