+ We have had a long series of homilies all the way back into August, based on humility, taking the lowest place,
renouncing possessions, detaching ourselves from possessions, and last week
with the story of Lazarus and the rich man, taking the risk of having our
riches interfere with our entrance into heaven
when we die.
And so, when we hear today,
that the response that Jesus literally wants - after we have worked hard for
him all day, doing what he asks us to do, and then coming home from work and
being expected to cook his supper too (the extra measure) – what we are
supposed to say is: “We are unprofitable
servants; we have done what we were obliged to do!”
This
sounds kind of irksome to people (mostly Americans) who think
things are “owed to them.” Or did we miss the whole point of the homily series?
The only real thing that is owed at all is to
love one another, as Christ loved us - to the point of death on the cross. This redemption was pure grace, it was certainly not “owed,” and it involved Jesus
going way beyond the extra measure –
the extra mile – for us. It is we who owe everything – everything! We are just plain and
ordinary servants, doing our duty
when we do what he says! And that is not
a bad thing to be!
In
the first reading from the Prophet Habakkuk the prophet cries
out: how long O Lord? We are crying out
to you and you don’t seem to listen, you don’t seem to be willing to intervene,
as he looks at the people of Israel in such misery in captivity? But the Lord
speaks through the prophet saying: but
the just one, because of his faith, shall live.
If our
faith, even if it is tinier than that of a mustard seed, is real, then we shall live and we shall
have reason to have hope, and we shall rise from our humble position, our lack
of possessions and our depleted riches and we shall be able to see our brothers
and sisters with their true need – and we shall be able to help them in ways
that are beyond us as individuals – we shall be able to translate owing
thanksgiving and love to God, into thanks given and extended by help given to
our brothers and sisters in need - in the sight of God.
May our life of living faith,
lead to endless days of self-sacrificial giving to our less fortunate brothers
and sisters in Christ – after all we do “owe it to them” – and very much so!
If
today you hear his voice, in our readings, in this homily, harden not your
hearts.
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