The mustard seed is one of the tiniest seed in the world. If the seed, like any seed is not properly cared for, it will not grow; it could even wither and die. So, it is with the gift of faith that we have been given, if we do not feed it with the Word of God[the Scriptures], nourish it with the Sacraments and water it with prayer it will not grow.
How can we hear God’s voice? Reading or listening to the Scriptures [the Word of God], in the Sacraments, in prayer. In today’s 1st reading we heard a plea to God, “How long, O Lord? I cry for help, but You do not listen!” Has God answered our prayer, but not in the way we wanted?
Our reading from 2nd Timothy tells us “…to stir into flame the gift of God ….” How can we do that? We sang in our Gospel Acclamation, “The Word of the Lord remains forever.” The Word of God is Living, and it can fill us, guide us and lead us with we allow it to do that, not for God’s good but for our good.
Let me try to paint a picture with this story so we can figure out what God wants us to do. “Here’s to the ‘unprofitable servants’ among us . . . She’s a mom. He’s a dad. Their day starts at dawn, getting the kids up fed and off to school. Then it’s off to their job’s.
Most afternoons one or both … get their son to his soccer practice or their daughter to her music lesson. Dinner is a team effort — but whether it’s take-out or a casserole made the weekend before, the important thing is that they eat supper together as a family. Then it’s clean-up, homework, baths and prayers in the early evening. Before Mom and Dad turn in, a load of laundry, some office work, then a few quiet minutes to themselves as they crawl into bed
And the next day they do it all over again. Because that’s what loving families do.
Discipleship cannot flourish without gratitude and humility. The gratitude and humility of the servant in today’s Gospel. Realizing that the gift of faith requires justice, compassion and forgiveness. Becoming open to the clarity of God’s love, and how blessed we are when we see ourselves as ‘servants’ at the table of God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
What should drive us to fulfill the many roles we play in our lives is not: titles, honors, compensation, but the good we can accomplish during our lives. The love, peace, justice, we can bring to our families, our neighborhoods, our country and our world. If we mirror God to this world, we can transform our world, not all at once but little by little.
The ‘unprofitable servant’ … is one who possesses the humility and selflessness to be God’s co-worker in building God’s Kingdom. {Adopted & modified from Connections, October 2022}
You and I are called to be “unprofitable servants” because we will build God’s Kingdom not our own. For a few minutes, in silence, think about your call to be a servant, an “unprofitable” servant in this world, so you can give honor, glory and praise to the God who created you, who created the universe.
May God Be Praised!
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