thankful "useless servants"
"We are useless servants. We have done no more than our duty." —Luke 17:10
To serve the Lord is the most awesome privilege possible for a human being. One day serving in His courts is better than a thousand elsewhere (Ps 84:11). To take out the garbage for Jesus is better than being the CEO for a multi-national conglomerate.
Therefore, in serving the Lord, we should not focus on how much we're doing for Him but on how much He's doing for us by letting us do something for Him. We should look at ourselves as "useless servants" but look at Jesus as Lord and God Who is worthy to be praised (see Rv 5:12). We should not think of Sunday Mass as only our Sunday obligation but as the privileged opportunity of a lifetime. God doesn't owe us anything, but we owe Him everything. God can get along without us very well (see Est 4:14); we are honored to be included by the Lord in anything, even in the most difficult jobs. God didn't have to create us, save us, choose us, or use us, but He did. We should not be complaining but thanking. "Serve the Lord with gladness" (Ps 100:2).
Prayer: Father, thank You for choosing to create and love me.
Promise: "The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them." —Wis 3:1
Praise: Although originally refused entrance into a convent because of health reasons, St. Frances took her own private vow of virginity.
Reference: (The final Discipleship Retreats in the 2001 series are Small Christian Communities to Change the World, Dec. 7-9 and a Retreat for Widows, Dec. 7-9. To register or for information, call 937-587-5464 or 513-471-4622 or e-mail retreats@presentationministries.com)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert A. Stricker, May 8, 2001
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, May 18, 2001