With You, God, I am More

Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

By Beth DeCristofaro

(Jesus said) 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.’” (Luke 17:10)

Piety

There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.

(from “You Raise Me Up” by Secret Garden's Rolf Løvland, lyrics by Brendan Graham)

Study

I have a friend who is married 40+ years.  She visits her husband every day at lunch in the facility he now lives due to his many health issues and his dementia.  She cannot care for him alone at home.  She told me that she committed to God 40 years ago to be his faithful wife and raise his children as hers.  Sometimes it was very hard but she honored her commitment.  Today, she struggles as she watches him confused, forgetting details of their life together but she says she is blessed because she did what she said she would do.  She chooses to come every day. She laughs when, in a clear moment, he tells everyone that he is happy because he met her.

Yesterday, we remembered our veterans, women and men committed to the defense of our country sometimes at great personal expense.  They do their duty.  Fathers and mothers undoubtedly ran to aid their children as typhoon Haiyan destroyed parts of the Philippines.  Undoubtedly some of them died along with their families.  Asked, the survivors would say, they were just doing their duty.  Teachers, janitors, nursing assistants, families with disabled members, lawn mowers and more just do their duties. 

Volunteers fill many roles to insure churches run, orchestras play, homeless people have food.  Many of us serve each other daily, doing what we are obliged to do.  Sometimes we do feel very much like unprofitable servants as we slog on.

Jesus tells us so very clearly that serving as an unprofitable servant to our God, to our brothers and sisters of God is so very profitable.  We are more than we can be if we see each other through the eyes of our loving God.

Action

St. Josaphat was martyred for his staunch determination to rectify the schism which split the Orthodox and Latin branches of Christ’s church.  What can I do to reunite myself to someone or foster unity among people?  Don’t look for the reward of acclaim.  Look instead for the reward of being unprofitable while hopeful and resolute in your service to the people of God and thereby to God.