20191112
BEING
PROFITABLE SERVANTS
12 NOVEMBER,
2019, Tuesday, 32nd Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Red.
These are the readings
for the feria
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First reading
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Wisdom 2:23-3:9 ©
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God made man imperishable,
he made him in the image of his own
nature;
it was the devil’s envy that brought death
into the world,
as those who are his partners will
discover.
But the souls of the virtuous are in the
hands of God,
no torment shall ever touch them.
In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear
to die,
their going looked like a disaster,
their leaving us, like annihilation;
but they are in peace.
If they experienced punishment as men see
it,
their hope was rich with immortality;
slight was their affliction, great will
their blessings be.
God has put them to the test
and proved them worthy to be with him;
he has tested them like gold in a furnace,
and accepted them as a holocaust.
When the time comes for his visitation
they will shine out;
as sparks run through the stubble, so will
they.
They shall judge nations, rule over
peoples,
and the Lord will be their king for ever.
They who trust in him will understand the
truth,
those who are faithful will live with him
in love;
for grace and mercy await those he has
chosen.
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Responsorial Psalm
|
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Psalm 33(34):2-3,16-19 ©
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I will bless the Lord at
all times.
I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be
glad.
I will bless the Lord at
all times.
The Lord turns his face against the wicked
to destroy their remembrance
from the earth.
The Lord turns his eyes to the just
and his ears to their appeal.
I will bless the Lord at
all times.
They call and the Lord hears
and rescues them in all their
distress.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;
those whose spirit is crushed
he will save.
I will bless the Lord at
all times.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Mt4:4
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the
mouth of God.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Jn14:23
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Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 17:7-10 ©
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Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of
you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he
returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not
be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me
while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be
grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have
done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done
no more than our duty.”’
BEING PROFITABLE
SERVANTS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ WISDOM 2:23 – 3:9; PS 34:2-3, 16-19; LK 17:7-10 ]
In the gospel, Jesus
told us the parable of the Unprofitable Servant. After spending a long and hard day in the
fields looking after the flock and the crops, he came back home and immediately
was told to clean up and prepare a meal for the master. And Jesus’ remark
was, “Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told?” Of
course, the answer is, ‘no’. On the contrary, Jesus said, “When you have
done all you have been told to do, say, ‘We are merely servants: we have done
no more than our duty.'”
On cursory reading, my
reaction, and I am sure some of you would share my sentiment too, was that this
master was lacking in compassion, was demanding and inhumane. He was treating his servant as if he
was a robot at his beck and call, 24 hours a day, without rest. How many
of us treat our staff, including domestic helpers, in that manner? In
truth, they are not just servants for us to order around to do our
bidding. They are not even just our collaborators. They are members
of our family. Hence, it behooves us to treat them with respect, love and
compassion, caring for their personal welfare, their health, spiritual and
physical, and helping them to live a holistic life.
Consequently, God cannot
be portrayed as an indifferent and self-centered master who has no regard for
the well-being and rest of His servants. In fact, Jesus told us in another
parable that God is more like the master who would, upon returning home from a
wedding banquet, and finding his slaves waiting for Him, “fasten his belt and
have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them.” (Lk 12:37) Indeed, God emptied Himself in
Christ to be a slave for us unto death. St Paul exhorted the Christians,
saying, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though
he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be
exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in
human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became
obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:5-8)
How, then, do we
interpret this parable in perspective? We need to understand the context
of this parable. In the days of Jesus, having slaves was a common and
cultural phenomenon.
Many were slaves because of poverty. They were sold by their parents or
sold themselves to the rich whom they believed would be able to give them a
better life, more comfortable living and good food. Furthermore as a
slave, all their needs would be taken care of, like that a family member.
This also explains why some masters treated them more like stewards of their
property and household matters. So being a slave was not a bad practice
because the slaves felt protected by the master they served.
Consequently, being a
slave was considered to be a great privilege even. Otherwise, they would rot and
starve to death. Hence, slaves were grateful to their masters for taking
them in, rescuing them from poverty. Many of them, because of gratitude
to their master, took good care of them, practiced good and responsible stewardship.
Their loyalty to their master was based on their humility and recognition that
their position was a gift and a grace of God. They did not deserve to be
where they were. Hence, after doing all that they could do for their
master, Jesus said, we should say, “We are merely servants: we have done no
more than our duty.” It is like those of us who are without a job and
after many failed attempts at securing employment, are finally offered a
job. How grateful we will be to the employer! The greater the gratitude,
the greater the service.
Indeed, we too must see
our service, whether voluntary or paid in that manner. If we are able to serve God, our family,
community and our organization, it is because we have been blessed with the
required talents and health to be able to give ourselves meaningfully to
whichever organization or people under our care. To be able to serve is
itself the greatest reward. It would be worse to realize that no one
needs us and that there is nothing we can contribute to make the world a better
place. One who can only be served will find himself or herself living a useless
and meaningless life.
Happiness in life is
dependent on whether we are useful or useless. Life is meaningful and therefore
happier, when we are use-ful, that is, used to the fullest. But when we
are use-less, that is, using ourselves in such a way that is less than we could
possibly give, our potentials are untapped, and therefore our happiness is
incomplete. To find ourselves, each of us must give and expend ourselves
totally. That is why the Lord said, “Very truly, I tell you, unless a
grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain;
but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it,
and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal
life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my
servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.” (Jn 12:24-26; cf Mt 16:24f)
In giving ourselves for
the service of God and our fellowmen, we are being purified in love and in
compassion and generosity.
This is what the first reading is teaching us. “God has put them to the
test and proved them worthy to be with him; he has tested them like gold in a
furnace, and accepted them as a holocaust. When the time comes for his
visitation they will shine out; as sparks run through the stubble, so will
they.” On this earth, we are being purified so that we become more and
more the image and likeness of God in whom we have been created. Again,
the author assures us, “God made man imperishable, he made him in the image of
his own nature; it was the devil’s envy that brought death into the world, as
those who are his partners will discover.” When God created us, He wanted
us to be like Him. We were created in the image and likeness of
God. But because of ignorance and deception of the Evil One, instead of
becoming what he already is, reflecting the image and likeness of God, man
chose to be someone else other than what God had created him to be. When
we choose to create ourselves in our own likeness, according to our mind and
thinking, we have rebelled against what God has created us to be, namely, to
share in His life and love.
So to give ourselves to
service is not just an act of magnanimity on our part in loving and serving God
and our fellowmen; it is doing ourselves good primarily. The one who serves should be more grateful
than the one who is served. When we give, we receive double, the joy of
giving and seeing someone loved and happy on one hand, and on the other, we
grow in the capacity to share in the giving and sharing of God. Indeed,
the author of Wisdom wrote, “the souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God.
No torment shall ever touch them. In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to
die, their going looked like a disaster; their leaving us like annihilation;
but they are in peace. If they experienced punishment as men see it, their hope
was rich with immortality; slight was their affliction, great will their
blessings be.”
In fact, even if we are
masters, we are actually the chief slave. A master is one who serves his slaves, so that
together with them, they can serve God and their fellowmen. In the
process of serving, they will find themselves because they realize their
potential. A master is one who helps the slaves to make full use of their
talents, give them opportunities to serve fully and so find growth and meaning
in life. The master in the final analysis is the Chief servant to the
servants. He serves by leading, coordinating and empowering. This is what
the Lord Himself taught us in the washing of feet. He said, “So if I,
your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one
another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as
I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than
their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent
them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” (Jn 13:13-17) Indeed, the Lord said, “He
came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(Mt 20:28)
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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