Monday, November 10, 2008

Unprofitable Servants


November 11, 2008

Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, bishop

For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14


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
Jesus, you came among us as the one who serves. Send your Holy Spirit to shower us with gifts that so that we may be fortified to live life as we are obliged to do – as servants in the models shown to us by Jesus and St. Martin of Tours. Amen.


What we are obliged to do?

Jesus is not talking about some nice polite etiquette here…what fork to use with your salad. He is not talking about some political behavior like voting. He is not talking about stopping at a red light. He is talking about moral obligation. He is talking about the laws of God.

The more we have attained in life, the greater are our obligations. Yet the more we attain in life, we risk bigger cars, bigger bank accounts, bigger houses and bigger egos. Jesus equates us with slaves and servants…a position to which he voluntary assumed. Would we be so willing?

St. Paul reminds us that Jesus gave himself to “cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do good.”

As Jesus continues his journey to Jerusalem, the tone of Jesus’ teachings gets more and more serious as he outlines for us the way to live, the way to love. In just a few chapters, Jesus reminds the disciples of this important lesson as he celebrates with them for the last time the Feast of the Unleavened Bread.

"The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority over them are addressed as 'Benefactors'; but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. For who is greater: the one seated at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one seated at table? I am among you as the one who serves. Luke 22:25-27 (emphasis added)

So should it be with us as it was with Jesus and his humble and poor servant Martin of Tours whose feast we celebrate today. There is a famous story of Martin encountering a beggar in the middle of the winter. Martin used his sword to cut his cloak in half and share it with the beggar even though other people were standing around who could have donated their clothes. “Martin, filled with God’s grace, saw that it was for him, when others had denied their mercy, that the beggar was reserved.”

That night in a dream, Martin saw a vision of Christ. Martin recognized Jesus was wearing the cloak which he had given.


Action
As winter starts to approach, look in your closet today to see if you have a coat or blanket to donate to a person who needs its warmth this winter.

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