Doing what we are ‘obliged to do’ — and doing it faithfully

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

A reflection on the daily readings, for Tuesday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

+ Does not Wisdom say it so simply, and at the same time so eloquently? — “God made us imperishable!”

Then the devil came and took it away from us by introducing death and therefore perishableness (my own word).

And yet, if we live justice and walk in God’s ways, Wisdom tells us that our souls are in the “hands of God.”

No torment. Oh, perhaps a little chastisement will touch them.

Somehow, struggles will perfect them, and God’s mercy and love will win out!

What a vision, what a hope!

But Jesus comes along and tells us once again a little about the “how” — how it is that we are to live justice and walk always in God’ ways.

And that is with a huge dose of having a sense of and a desire to serve.

He dramatically names it by placing us on a hard day in the hot sun (I am filling in the blank spaces here, elaborating on the Gospel words), and very tired, even hungry and thirsty.

And then, in that condition, he faces the Master of the house.

Jesus then puts these words, in the form of a question, in the mouth of the Master asking if he would say to his servant, “Come here immediately and take your place at table.”

Yikes!

Jesus says, rather, that the Master would say to the servant. “Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink after I am finished.”

But the line that is the “frosting on the cake” line is the application or teaching that Jesus puts into the mouth of the servant; and, therefore, wants to put into our mouths, too.

And this, after the Master has had this rhetorical question floating about in his mind in this parable or teaching which is, “Is he [the Master] grateful to the servant because he did what was commanded of him?”

And the unasked-for-response was, “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we are obliged to do.'”

In other words — “We’re just doing our job.”

And of course, it certainly is implied — “And we are doing it joyfully!”

That is what Jesus wants to teach them, and that is what Jesus wants to teach us, too!

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

[Image: Patrick Schneider | Unsplash]