Lastly, a life of descent provides for the needs of others. Look at St. Matthew's gospel (chapter 25):
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
I have always loved this connection here between the hungry, and the thirsty, the stranger, the sick and the prisoner. Notice two things here:
Jesus doesn’t qualify these people, or indicate, like we do sometimes, that there are certain categories of people that we should serve. For example , we won't help those people who through their own choices find themselves in a predicament.
And notice the explicit link: done to the least of these, you did for me. A life of descent sees Jesus in others.
Descending means meeting someone on their own terms, for their good. Sometimes we forget that Jesus descended to us.
And when we descend God elevates; God elevates us into Himself, and more importantly God elevates Himself.