Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time(Click here for readings)
Jesus said to his Apostles: "...When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
Call of Duty. When teenagers do their homework and obey their parents, they are not doing something extraordinary; they are doing what they were obliged to do. When a husband loves his wife, he is not doing something remarkable; he is doing what he promised to do. When a sister helps her brother, she is not performing a miracle; she is doing what she was expected to do.
Likewise, the Lord tells his Apostles: Be on guard against your pride. Do not think of yourselves as heroes. You are simply doing what you were commanded to do.
And yet, we, the people, cannot help but to be pleased by their actions. But in reality, I think we remember these souls not so much for their miracles but for their faithfulness to God and to others. This is what we remember and appreciate most. This is what will endure forever.
"The souls of the just are in the hand of God...because God tried them and found them worthy of himself...As gold in the furnace, he proved them" (Wis 2:23-3:9).
We should all have found memories of our grandparents. We should all have found memories of our parents. Not necessarily because of anything extraordinary they did in their lives, but for the faithfulness and loyalty they exhibited towards others throughout their lives. They are and forever will be in our hearts and minds.
Beyond the Call of Duty. Whereas others may consider some actions to be beyond the call of duty, I believe Christians do not have this luxury. Given the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, there is nothing that can be considered beyond the call of duty. All the good we do comes from grace received, and grace comes from God. We follow orders from high above.
Love one another, as I have loved you is an order we received. To the world, this may seem extraordinary. To Christians, this is all in a day's work.
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Here are some excellent articles related to today's Meditation:
"This guy impresses the hell out of me."
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Pope Francis sends 200 Euro to mugged elderly woman
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