The Gospel according to Luke (17:7-10)
Jesus said to the Apostles:
“Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'”
Reflection:
My friends, some of you probably know that I’m a fan of the Golden State Warriors. One of the online sites I follow critiques the Warriors players after each game, assigning each a letter grade. What is noteworthy about that is this qualifier by the author of this “critique” – “the average grade for each player is considered to be a B.”
Why do I make a point about that? Well, back in the day for me, the grade that meant “average” was a C. “B” was “above average” and “A” was exceptional. By that measure, having a “C” average didn’t mean that a student was slacking off – it merely meant that they were doing average work. The writer of that Warriors player critique, though, is saying that “average” is a “B” now. Ah well, let us leave the question about “grade inflation” for another time, shall we?
You are probably wondering what the Warriors and letter grades has to do with the Gospel today. Hang on with me for just a bit longer! Our faith certainly does have a number of rules and expectations. We are obliged to attend Mass every weekend. We are obliged to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year. We are obliged to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent and to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The lesson here is not to view those items as things on a list to be checked off for a grade, as if God will have a checklist waiting when we face Him in heaven one day, and we hope He gives us an “A”. If that’s the motivation that causes us to attend to those obligations, then we are the “unprofitable servants” that Jesus mentions.
Instead, let us ponder the reason for the obligations, and the God who loves us more than we can imagine. Let us see those items as small acts to repay that same loving God for giving us life and the blessings we have in abundance. And, if we are at a point in our lives where maybe we don’t feel that abundance, let us ponder the truth that God is with us through every instance – in plenty or in lack – and that He longs for us to rely on Him through every day of our lives.
Action for the Day:
It’s always a good opportunity each day to see what motivates us to do good. Do I tend to my actions of faith because of obligation? Or, do I undertake them because of my thankfulness for God’s love for me? Take some time to consider that and ask God to help you to act out of love and thanksgiving to Him above all else.
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