I still have my memories about my childhood in a countryside
environment. I have this vivid memory when one of our neighbors moved their
nipa hut to a new location. The whole
community came together and put bamboo poles around the side of the nipa hut
and together they carry the hut to the new location. I have plenty of memories
regarding service done together in a community. We ask favor to a neighbor to
look after the house our entrusting children to the care of the neighbor
without any payment. This particular communal practice is gradually diminished
in the culture of consumerism and capitalism. If we look at our society today,
services are still offered but you need to pay something in return.
Our Gospel today presents a teaching about service that is
closely link to our faith. Jesus invites
us to be humble and present an example of a servant who works in the field. He uses the example of the slave. In those
days, a slave could not merit anything. The master, hard and demanding, wanted
only their service. It was not usual to thank a slave. For God we are like a
slave before his master. St Luke is reminds his listeners that we are
God’s servant. God never owes from us, but we are always indebt with us because
he gave us everything. We can only understand this through the eyes of Faith.
True faith is
unselfish. It seeks to give rather than
to receive. The disciples pleaded to Jesus to increase their faith not because
of their doubts on Jesus but to keep them in their work of mercy. As Christians, we are invited to live our
faith concretely by showing our service to one another. We cannot isolate ourselves to the world
because if we do that, we also lose our faith. If we have faith we will
not grumble and complain that we have been working for God and to our neighbor.
Rather we will forget ourselves and work ourselves to death in God’s service,
knowing that God will come to our aid when and how He deems right. Let us then ask to Lord to increase our faith
so as to become a servant to other. MANGYARI NAWA…
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