WE ARE MERE SERVANTS
Introduction
Paul writes to Titus that Christ has given himself for the Church. The community should bear witness to this by the kind of life people lead, each according to one’s state in life.
The words of Jesus in the gospel of today seem to be directed more to the Pharisees and scribes, who claimed to be servants of God, than to the apostles. They were self-assured servants; they computed their merits for what they had done for God and asserted their right to his rewards. Perhaps the apostles too were not always too modest in their claims as companions of Jesus. All should put their trust in God and leave everything to him. Not what we have done for God counts, but what he does for us in his mercy. We are in his hands.
Opening Prayer
God, merciful Father,
you know what is in our hearts.
Whether our Intercessions are good or selfish,
we leave everything
to your compassionate judgment.
But this we ask of you:
Confirm us in the will
to serve you and our people
in loyalty and love
and for the rest, we are in your hands,
for you are our God and Father
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
1 Reading – TITUS 2:1-8, 11-14
Beloved: You must say what is consistent with sound doctrine, namely, that older men should be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance. Similarly, older women should be reverent in their behaviour, not slanderers, not addicted to drink, teaching what is good, so that they may train younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers, under the control of their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited. Urge the younger men, similarly, to control themselves, showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect, with integrity in your teaching, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be criticized, so that the opponent will be put to shame without anything bad to say about us. For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.
Responsorial PSALM 37:3-4, 18 AND 23, 27 AND 29
R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests. R.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm,
and he approves his way. R.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
The just shall possess the land
and dwell in it forever. R.
Alleluia JOHN 14:23
Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LUKE 17:7-10
Jesus said to the Apostles: “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'”
Commentary
Suing God
A few years ago, a 27-year old man, Raphael Samuel, sued his parents for having given birth to him without his consent. He believed he had the right not to be born! Ultimately, it is all about claiming one’s rights, even when the claims are an insult to intelligence. But don’t we make similar, if not the same, claims before God? It is as if God owed us something. Peter asked Jesus: “We have left everything for you; What do we get?” James and John claimed the right to sit on his right and left. We conveniently forget that essentially, we are creatures and it is ‘we who owe God’. If God has upgraded us to the status of his sons and daughters, it is an act of pure grace. As Paul delightfully announces: “Now the grace of God has appeared.” We do not merit this grace; it is generously given.
Intercessions
– Lord, let rewards and honors come to us as surprises, rather than as something we deserve, we pray:
– Lord, for us and all who are baptized, that we may follow Christ, your perfect servant, and that with him we may serve rather than demand to be served, we pray:
– That leaders in the Church and in the world may serve the interests of their people rather than their own, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
we have often been useless servants
who have not done what you expected of us.
And yet you invite us to your table
and serve us the best food and drink,
your Son Jesus Christ.
Make us trustworthy and loyal
like your faithful servant,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
without any merit on our part,
you have called us to be
your sons and daughters
through your loyal Son and servant Jesus Christ.
Give us the humble strength
not to consider this gift from you
as a title to privileges and awards
but a trust and a responsibility
to serve you in people
and to make your love known to all.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Blessing
We should not boast to God of what we have done for him. Everything we could do was a gift from him. So let us thank God. May he bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!