Bishop tells altar servers: Serving is more than getting the rites right

Bishop Roberto Gaa told more than 1,700 altar servers that ministry means more than performing rites correctly or avoiding mistakes at the altar.

“Serving is not just wearing an attire. Serving is not just not committing mistakes,” Gaa said during the opening Mass of the fourth pilgrimage tour of the image of St. Tarcisius of Rome at the Novaliches Cathedral.

He challenged the young servers to ask whether their ministry is rooted in love for God and others, rather than simply following rituals and rules.

“Is it all rituals? Are all the rules? Or is it your love for God and for your neighbor?” Gaa asked.

Gaa urged the servers to carry this love beyond church, shaping how they treat family, friends, classmates and even those they disagree with.

The bishop said altar serving can form young people’s values, character and understanding of what truly matters.

“Often, serving becomes just a ritual and a task that we have to perform without making mistakes,” Gaa said.

“But in truth, serving is formative. It forms your values, what is significant, and your heart,” he added.

Gaa said the ministry can also help young people discern vocations, including calls to the priesthood or consecrated life.

He pointed to St. Tarcisius as a model of sacrificial service, recalling how the young martyr died protecting the Eucharist during Christian persecution.

“For him, it was not just rites, it was not just tasks, but it was a sign of his love for God and for others,” Gaa said.

The gathering brought together servers from the dioceses of Novaliches, Antipolo, Cubao and Malolos for worship, fellowship and vocation activities.

It included a Holy Hour for Vocations and a vocation jamboree where 44 religious congregations introduced young participants to different forms of religious life.

The pilgrimage will conclude with a closing liturgy at the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint Mary Magdalene in Pililla, Rizal. | CBCP NEWS