20221026 SERVANTS OF GOD BY BEING SERVANTS OF MAN
26 October, 2022, Wednesday, 30th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Ephesians 6:1-9 © |
Duties in domestic life
Children, be obedient to your parents in the Lord – that is your duty. The commandment that has a promise attached to it is: Honour your father and mother, and the promise is: and you will prosper and have a long life in the land. And parents, never drive your children to resentment but in bringing them up correct them and guide them as the Lord does.
Slaves, be obedient to the men who are called your masters in this world, with deep respect and sincere loyalty, as you are obedient to Christ: not only when you are under their eye, as if you had only to please men, but because you are slaves of Christ and wholeheartedly do the will of God. Work hard and willingly, but do it for the sake of the Lord and not for the sake of men. You can be sure that everyone, whether a slave or a free man, will be properly rewarded by the Lord for whatever work he has done well. And those of you who are employers, treat your slaves in the same spirit; do without threats, remembering that they and you have the same Master in heaven and he is not impressed by one person more than by another.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 144(145):10-14 © |
The Lord is faithful in all his words.
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God,
to make known to men your mighty deeds
and the glorious splendour of your reign.
The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Yours is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule lasts from age to age.
The Lord is faithful in all his words.
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
The Lord supports all who fall
and raises all who are bowed down.
The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:6 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.2Th2:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Through the Good News God called us
to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 13:22-30 © |
The last shall be first and the first last
Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.
‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!”
‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’
SERVANTS OF GOD BY BEING SERVANTS OF MAN
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EPHESIANS 6:1-9; LUKE 13:22-30]
What would you like your epithet to read on your tombstone? I hope to have inscribed on my tombstone, “This man was a servant of God and a servant of man.” This, for me, would be the greatest honour one can give to anyone.
The truth is that in the eyes of God, He has no use for titles and privileges. He does not see us in our positions or even what we do. This is what St Paul wants us to remember; that we all, regardless of our status and position in life, “have the same Master in heaven and he is not impressed by one person more than by another.” In God’s eyes, we are all His children whom He loves.
This same thought is expressed in today’s gospel as well when Jesus told the Jewish leaders, that when the time of judgment comes, entrance to the Kingdom of God will not be based on privileges simply because the Jews are the chosen people of God. Indeed, He warns us, “Then you will find yourself saying, ‘We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets’ but he will reply, ‘I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!’ Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
In reality, who are we if not the servants of God and of each other? There is no real difference between a master and a slave; an employer and an employee; a boss and his or her subordinates; parents and children; a bishop and his priests. We are all here to serve each other in different ways. That is why, the Pope is called the servant of servants.
Parents are the first-class servants at home to their children. They multitask by being the breadwinner, financial controller, chef, laundryman/lady, chauffeur, etc all at once. Our task is not to make our children’s lives miserable but to help them to become the person that God wants them to be, especially helping them to find their vocation and giving them the necessary skills and resources to fulfil it.
Children, conversely, are called to serve their parents by walking the right path, growing in maturity, wisdom and in knowledge. “Children, be obedient to your parents in the Lord – that is your duty.” They are to seek guidance from their parents so that they will not hurt themselves and learn from the experience and wisdom of their parents. Respect and obedience therefore are necessary, not just to please their parents but for their own good.
And when they grow up, they are called to look after their parents, just as they had looked after them when they were young. By so doing, they set the example for their own children to follow. This explains why there is a promise of reward attached to those who take care of their parents. “The first commandment that has a promise attached to it is: Honour your father and mother; and the promise is: and you will prosper and have a long life in the land.” Indeed, by looking after them, we grow in gratitude and love. We exercise the same patience and love they gave to us.
Failing to show compassion and understanding to our parents will rebound on us because when we are old, our children, looking at the way we treat our parents, will do the same to us.
So, too, supervisors have the task of serving both the clients as well as their workers. They are called to help their workers excel in their work, find fulfilment, meaning and purpose, exercising their potentials and getting them promoted so that they can put them out of their jobs! The best employer or boss forms others to take over their job. This is true for the bishop and his priests. My job is to help my priests find fulfilment in their ministry so that one of them can succeed me.
How then can this consciousness be instilled in us? We must remember as St Paul says, we are working for God and not for man. “Slaves, be obedient to the men who are called your masters in this world, with deep respect and sincere loyalty, as you are obedient to Christ: not only when you are under their eye, as if you had only to please men, but because you are slaves of Christ and wholeheartedly so the will of God. Work hard and willingly, but do it for the sake of the Lord and not for the sake of men.” To employers, he wrote, “treat your slaves in the same spirit; do without threats, remembering that they and you have the same Master in heaven.”
Truly, this is the way to the kingdom of God, the way to fullness of life on earth and in heaven is when we remember that we are nobody if not for the love of God and the love of our loved ones, friends and teachers and colleagues who have helped us along the way, serving us. This is the narrow path that the Lord is speaking. Entry to the fullness of life is not through intellectual speculation but living out our lives in humble service rooted in love. His reply to those who asked Him, “‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed. Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us’ but he will answer, ‘I do not know where you come from.'”
For those who serve humbly and selflessly for God and for others, the reward of fullness of life is promised. “You can be sure that everyone, whether a slave of a free man, will be properly rewarded by the Lord for whatever work he has done well.” When we look at our children later on in life, or the colleagues and our subordinates doing well in life and contributing to society, especially the poor, we will feel so happy and proud for them; and happy for ourselves that we have been instrumental in shaping them to be the joy and pride of the People of God and society. Satisfaction that we have done our part for society and our fellowmen, which is for the glory of God, is the greatest joy and fulfilment we can experience in life. It brings us great joy and peace of mind.
We have our mentor, God Himself, as the psalmist says. God is faithful in His works and ensures that creation is for us to enjoy and to grow. “All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord, and your friends shall repeat their blessing. They shall speak of the glory of your reign and declare your might, O God, to make known to men your mighty deeds and the glorious splendor of your reign. Yours is an everlasting kingdom; your rule lasts from age to age. The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. The Lord supports all who fall and raises all who are bowed down.” God is our chief servant exemplified in our Lord who came to serve and not be served; and to give His life as a ransom for others.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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