Last Wednesday the Gospel reading for the day was from Luke 19:11-28. There we hear that
While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
“A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
‘We do not want this man to be our king.’
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’
He replied, ‘Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.’
Then the second came and reported,
‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’
And to this servant too he said,
‘You, take charge of five cities.’
Then the other servant came and said,
‘Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.’
He said to him,
‘With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’
And to those standing by he said,
‘Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.’
But they said to him,
‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’
He replied, ‘I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine
who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.’”
After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.*
In pondering this parable, I have often considered how God calls us to use all of the gifts He has given us for His greater glory. We are to use the gifts He has given us, our skills, our knowledge, our faith so we may better love Him and our neighbor. We are to use these gifts He has bestowed upon us to further His Kingdom.
Soon after I read these Gospel verses last week, they were presented to me further illuminated. Someone I know who works with poor persons told me about a couple of interactions she had. Hearing about her interactions, I have come to realize further how humility is valuable spiritual currency which can yield significant spiritual dividends.
This worker had previously interacted countless times with a homeless woman who here I'll call "Irene." It appears that Irene has mental health difficulties. Weeks ago, Irene had defecated on the sidewalk in front of where this worker works; the worker ended up cleaning up the excrement. A little over a week ago, Irene was yelling loudly out on the sidewalk, also in front of this worker's workplace. People live, and thus sleep, near this location, so the worker informed Irene that she had to quiet down. Last Wednesday, this worker told me that Irene had returned and had apologized to her for screaming so loudly so early in the morning.
As I relate these interactions, I am reminded of how my mentor Larry, who decades ago founded the Redwood City Catholic Worker House, had said perhaps over a month ago that one does well if, in doing this type of work, one is not doing it to be thanked. A person does well if he or she does it simply because he or she enjoys doing it regardless of whether or not he or she receives gratitude in return.
You might ask how people can enjoy doing work which challenges them so much. I am reminded of a story I have heard about the Missionaries of Charity, the religious sisters of the congregation founded by Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
As I have heard the story, the sisters repeatedly went to a building where multiple people lived, in order to serve them. At that building, when they knocked on a certain door, the occupant would never let them in. One day when one of the sisters knocked on that particular door, and the dweller slightly opened the door, the sister literally got her foot in the doorway. Since the resident was unable to close the door, the sister was able to get inside the apartment. The sister discovered that the person had kept using the toilet even though it had become clogged. Consequently, not only was the toilet full of excrement, but excrement had spilled over the rim of the toilet, and had further been spread throughout the apartment.
As the sisters were shoveling excrement into containers so they could remove it from the apartment, the resident asked, "Do you still love me now?"
A sister replied, "Even more."
When a person has trouble caring for himself or herself, that person needs more love. To be able to give that additional love, we need the humility to admit that we need God's help in everything. We must pray to God to enable us to do everything we do, since we can do nothing without Him. We need to ask God humbly for what we need so we can give others what they need.
When we allow ourselves to be humbled, God gives us the grace and the strength to love others when we think we wouldn't be able to love them. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.** If we consent to become little, we can do great things. If we agree to stoop down to help those who cannot help themselves, God will raise us up to be able to do the little yet great tasks of helping those who are little. They are little in the eyes of the world, yet they are precious in the sight of God.
One who is humble seems powerless in the sight of the world, but is favored by God. God opposes the proud but accords his favor to the humble.*** By the grace of God, you can become more than you ever could be otherwise. Through the grace and strength of God, you become more empowered than you ever would be otherwise. Acting through that grace and strength now, in this lifetime, you will be greatly empowered. And in the next life you will reap the rewards of the investment of the humility which you accept now.
* Luke 19:11-28
** Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14
*** 1 Peter 5:5
While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
“A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
‘We do not want this man to be our king.’
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’
He replied, ‘Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.’
Then the second came and reported,
‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’
And to this servant too he said,
‘You, take charge of five cities.’
Then the other servant came and said,
‘Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.’
He said to him,
‘With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’
And to those standing by he said,
‘Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.’
But they said to him,
‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’
He replied, ‘I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine
who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.’”
After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.*
In pondering this parable, I have often considered how God calls us to use all of the gifts He has given us for His greater glory. We are to use the gifts He has given us, our skills, our knowledge, our faith so we may better love Him and our neighbor. We are to use these gifts He has bestowed upon us to further His Kingdom.
Soon after I read these Gospel verses last week, they were presented to me further illuminated. Someone I know who works with poor persons told me about a couple of interactions she had. Hearing about her interactions, I have come to realize further how humility is valuable spiritual currency which can yield significant spiritual dividends.
This worker had previously interacted countless times with a homeless woman who here I'll call "Irene." It appears that Irene has mental health difficulties. Weeks ago, Irene had defecated on the sidewalk in front of where this worker works; the worker ended up cleaning up the excrement. A little over a week ago, Irene was yelling loudly out on the sidewalk, also in front of this worker's workplace. People live, and thus sleep, near this location, so the worker informed Irene that she had to quiet down. Last Wednesday, this worker told me that Irene had returned and had apologized to her for screaming so loudly so early in the morning.
As I relate these interactions, I am reminded of how my mentor Larry, who decades ago founded the Redwood City Catholic Worker House, had said perhaps over a month ago that one does well if, in doing this type of work, one is not doing it to be thanked. A person does well if he or she does it simply because he or she enjoys doing it regardless of whether or not he or she receives gratitude in return.
You might ask how people can enjoy doing work which challenges them so much. I am reminded of a story I have heard about the Missionaries of Charity, the religious sisters of the congregation founded by Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
As I have heard the story, the sisters repeatedly went to a building where multiple people lived, in order to serve them. At that building, when they knocked on a certain door, the occupant would never let them in. One day when one of the sisters knocked on that particular door, and the dweller slightly opened the door, the sister literally got her foot in the doorway. Since the resident was unable to close the door, the sister was able to get inside the apartment. The sister discovered that the person had kept using the toilet even though it had become clogged. Consequently, not only was the toilet full of excrement, but excrement had spilled over the rim of the toilet, and had further been spread throughout the apartment.
As the sisters were shoveling excrement into containers so they could remove it from the apartment, the resident asked, "Do you still love me now?"
A sister replied, "Even more."
When a person has trouble caring for himself or herself, that person needs more love. To be able to give that additional love, we need the humility to admit that we need God's help in everything. We must pray to God to enable us to do everything we do, since we can do nothing without Him. We need to ask God humbly for what we need so we can give others what they need.
When we allow ourselves to be humbled, God gives us the grace and the strength to love others when we think we wouldn't be able to love them. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.** If we consent to become little, we can do great things. If we agree to stoop down to help those who cannot help themselves, God will raise us up to be able to do the little yet great tasks of helping those who are little. They are little in the eyes of the world, yet they are precious in the sight of God.
One who is humble seems powerless in the sight of the world, but is favored by God. God opposes the proud but accords his favor to the humble.*** By the grace of God, you can become more than you ever could be otherwise. Through the grace and strength of God, you become more empowered than you ever would be otherwise. Acting through that grace and strength now, in this lifetime, you will be greatly empowered. And in the next life you will reap the rewards of the investment of the humility which you accept now.
* Luke 19:11-28
** Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14
*** 1 Peter 5:5
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