Sunday October 2, 2022

DISCOVER TODAY: If we care like God cares, we want to go the extra mile with him.

Good News Reflection for:

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 2, 2022

Today’s Prayer:

Lord, my faith needs a closer relationship with You. Help me to understand that doing good is a result of a life surrendered to You. Amen.

Subscribe to Today’s Saint Quote & Prayer:
gnm.org/SaintQuotes/

Today’s Readings:

Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
Ps 95:1-2,6-7,8-9 (8)
2 Timothy 1:6-8,13-14
Luke 17:5-10
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100222.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/2022-10-02-usccb-daily-mass-readings

Supernatural faith

This Sunday’s Gospel reading is disturbing. After doing a lot of hard work and offering it for the glory of God, the last thing we want to hear from him is: “You’re an unprofitable servant.”

Think of how hard you work. Whether it’s at home or for a business or in ministry, we’re never rewarded enough, right? Instead, we’re given more work! At home, we try to relax after a busy day but one of the kids or an elderly relative needs help. On the job, we’re given more work because our colleagues are either too lazy or they’ve been laid off. In the parish, most of the work gets done by only 10 to 20% of the people.

Jesus says that our reaction to all this should be: “Lord, I’m an unworthy servant of your kingdom, because I’ve only done what’s expected of me.” Is he implying that it’s right to be burdened with more to do when we’re tired? Not at all! What he is telling us is that there’s a difference between doing what’s required out of mere obedience and volunteering to go the extra mile because we love and we care.

Resting is important. Jesus took time out to pray and to recover his energy. Delegating work to others is right, too, so that we don’t burn out. Jesus is the supreme example of a delegator who is also a servant. Balance is healthy and necessary.

When we stop short of going the extra mile, it’s usually because we have an unbalanced view of faith. Unaware that we’re serving Christ in our everyday tasks, and unaware that we’re serving others with Christ, we settle for a mediocre, half-hearted attitude. We limit our potential. And then we’re astonished that Jesus would suggest that we can command trees to cast themselves into the sea! When was the last time you saw that happen?

Here’s the connection between doing more than the minimum and having a supernatural faith: For both to occur, we have to know that God’s love is complete and unconditional and available all the time and that from this comes his desire to serve us. Knowing this, we’re confident that he can accomplish anything he wants in us and through us. If we care like he cares, we want to go the extra mile with him. And then when we get hurt or tired, he restores us. Do you believe that yet?

Questions for Personal Reflection:
What’s the mulberry tree in your life? What problem is so deeply rooted that it seems immoveable? Who in your life is so stuck in sin that you’ve lost hope for change? Can you be a worthy servant of God and surprise that person with gestures of love that are unexpected and unrequested?

Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
Describe examples of service that show the difference between doing our duty and doing more. How does volunteering to serve above and beyond what’s expected reveal God’s love?

To help you reflect further on this, go to our WordByte called: “A Prayer to Become God’s Instrument” @ https://wordbytes.org/master-needs-you/prayer-to-become-gods-instrument/

© 2022 by Terry A. Modica

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