No cost too great when one is in service to the Lord

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

A reflection on the daily readings, for Wednesday of Holy Week, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

+ If you work for or are a servant for someone who is mean and nasty, someone who will undoubtedly mistreat you, you would no doubt get this question from others: “Why do you work for him? Why do you stay?”

And your answer might be very simple: “Because the money is very, very good.”

But what a different reality and answer should you say: “Because I truly love this person and understand him and would do anything for him — no matter what the cost, no matter how much pain it might bring.”

For some, perhaps most, this would not make sense. But for those servants of the Lord who love God in this way, there is no cost that is too great.

And for sure, it is not God who causes the pain and the suffering, but it just comes with the service.

In fact, those true servants would say that they actually get strength from God when they experience rejection and suffering in their service.

It is clearly a juxtaposition: “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard” and “the Lord God is my help, I shall not be put to shame.”

The true servant loves the message and the messenger who is the Lord!

No cost is too great when one is in service to the Lord.

+ Jesus was the message, the messenger, the servant, the lover, the teacher, the master — and he paid the price with his very life.

In this Gospel scene, those to whom he had poured out his love and teaching gave his very self to them; it was there among them that such rejection would take place.

There is where and from whom he would actually be betrayed.

Knowing this, one could ask, “would he have done it again,vdone it the same?”

And we all know his answer: “Because I truly love you and understand you and would do anything for you — no matter what the cost, no matter how much pain it might bring.”

And that is what makes this, indeed, a Holy Week!

Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.