The idea of service has a strange fascination for a generation as egoistic as ours. Everybody claims to be at everybody's service. Name it and people will tell you they serve it: God, king and country, the electorate, one's clients, the poor, the sick, good causes and some not so good, and whatever else may be in vogue. Clearly, service is a plastic concept, and readily molded to any ideal or purpose, selfish or unselfish. Always honored in the Church, the words 'servant' and 'service' have found new relevance, especially since John XXIII's call for re-emphasis of the Church's obligation to live by service and proverty.