November 10
We Are Unworthy
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Today’s Gospel: Luke
17:7-10
(We Are Unworthy)
“Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or
keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and
sit down at table'? Will he not rather say to him, `Prepare supper
for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you
shall eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was
commanded? So, you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We
are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"
Reflection:
Are you
willing to give God your best, and are truth, honesty, and concern for others
at the top of your list of priorities? It’s worth asking what our real duties
are as God’s servants, and the clearest answer comes from Jesus Himself when He
was asked which commandment is the greatest: “You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is
the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your
neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the
Prophets.” ~Matthew 22:36-40. With that kind of clarity, it becomes much easier
to reflect, because being a good servant means being ready to give God our best
regardless of the cost. We are talking about Almighty God and our eternity, and
Jesus gave His very life to save ours, so this is unlike any other commitment
we will ever make. We will only ever have one Lord and Savior, and the way we
love our spouse, our children, or our family is nothing like the way we love
and honor Him.
So, if we want to be the best servants we can be, what should be our number one
focus every day we open our eyes? It’s to love the Lord with all our heart,
soul, and mind, and we begin by spending time in prayer and worship, fixing our eyes on Jesus without excuse. I know that sounds almost too easy,
but it can be, because all it takes is opening your eyes in the morning and
saying something like, “Good morning, Lord, thank you for allowing me to see
another day to serve you.” Then throughout the day, make a habit of noticing
God’s presence in everything, whether you are thanking Him for getting your
children off to school safely, or thanking Him for choosing you on a day when a
coworker was struggling and you could take the brunt of their frustration so
that someone else didn’t have to, and you could answer with love instead of
anger. We should be thankful no matter what the situation or outcome, and then
we can add Scripture, devotions, Mass, and confession into our daily lives as
often as we can.
The second most important thing a servant does is to love their neighbor as
themselves, which means putting others first all the time. If you have never
done that before it may take some practice, but that’s okay, because God knows
your heart, and He has given us one another so that we can look out for each
other and place the needs of others before our own. A humble, selfless life is
one of the greatest qualities of a good servant of the Lord, and it is the way
we show the world what loving Him looks like. Please also pray for our country,
and for all of us, because we need God’s mercy more than ever. It is Beneath
the Standard of Mary that we learn a servant’s greatest joy is simply doing
what God asks, just as she did when she said yes without asking for credit,
trusting that the One she served would lift up the humble in His own time.
What would change in your day if you began every morning by thanking God
for another chance to serve Him? Who in your life needs you to put their needs
ahead of your own this week? And are you giving God your best, or only what is
left over?
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely shared.
