Monday, November 03, 2008

Serving without Repayment

I think Jesus might have been speaking to moms as well as Pharisees in today's readings when he said to those gathered:

“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”


How many times a day do we find ourselves serving those in our lives and wondering if they notice it or why they don't thank us?  If I'm being honest with myself, I have to admit to those small feelings of not being appreciated that bubble over into big feelings at times.  But today's readings should be validation for any mom that we are called to truly serve our families, to give them our very best, and to do so humbly.  In fact, in today's first reading today we hear:

"Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also everyone for those of others."

Most of us moms will never be missionaries, saints, or doctors of the Church.  But we're so very lucky that every day we have the opportunity in our own homes to respond directly to Jesus' call and to do so for the people we love most in this world. 

Lord, grant me the attitude today to serve my family humbly and, in doing so, to show you my love.

USCCB - (NAB) - November 3, 2008

1 comment:

KellytheKitchenKop.com said...

Lisa,

Were you at my house yesterday or something?! It's like you heard my comments: "Do you have any idea how much I DO around here?!"

Thanks for the gentle reminder that we're doing it all for Jesus. :)

Kelly