November 8, 2022 – Luke 17:7-10
Today’s Gospel page presents a parable found only in Luke about the relationship between servant and master.
Jesus asks if a master had a servant who had spent the day working in the fields, would he invite him to sit down, have dinner and a good rest? Or should he not rather order him first to prepare dinner and, after he, the master, has eaten his fill, only then can the servant eat and rest? Should the master also express gratitude to his servant who was only doing what was expected of him? Since the servant had other duties, including being a cook in addition to working in the fields, and since these activities are part of his duties, the servant need not expect a “thank you” from the
master. This parable was also a warning to the Pharisees, who thought that God was indebted to them for their scrupulous observance of the Mosaic Law.
All of us are God’s servants because God owns everything and all our possessions have been given to us by a generous God. Our efforts and achievements are nothing compared to the blessings we have received from God.
All our devotions, prayers and works of charity constitute only a negligible part of our way of giving thanks to God. Being able to do all this is another of His gifts to us. We can never adequately repay the gifts God has given us.
The Gospel exhorts us to constantly measure ourselves against God’s expectations, no matter whether they are or appear to be greater than our own strength. We recall the apostle’s words, “Worthy of faith is he who calls you: he will do all this!” (1Th 5:24). It is precisely the experience of limitation that makes us feel useless servants: no one is able to do the work perfectly, but the good God guides everything and everyone toward the fullness of history.
For good workers…
– Putting the gospel into practice is not complimenting God. On the contrary, we can never be grateful enough to him for giving us the grace to walk in his Way. With God, all our giving is only imperfect and partial giving back.
– God’s love and generosity should compel us to give him the best that is in us as our act of thanksgiving.
Fr Joby Kavungal RCJ
TREZZANO SUL NAVIGLIO – MILAN