Word to the Wise
Tuesday, January 17, 2023 - Tuesday in the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
[Heb 6:10-20 and Mark 2:23-28]God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones. We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises. [Hebrews]
JANUARY 17 ST. ANTHONY, abbot
Years ago, a former student parishioner of mine said to me, "Fr. R. B., all people want from you are short sermons and some recognition and appreciation." That bit of advice has served me well over the years! No matter how far behind the scenes a person or group may be, a pastor needs to be certain that appreciation for their efforts is made known. The Letter to the Hebrews puts a finger on this in today's first scripture.
I hear the question from time to time, "Does God really care what I do or how hard I work? Do my efforts make any difference?" The Letter to the Hebrews makes it clear. God is not unjust and our efforts do make a difference in God's sight even if our human brothers and sisters don't recognize and appreciate what we do for them. However, when all our efforts are calculated for the purpose of gaining recognition, that can create a problem. Jesus, in the sermon on the mount in the Gospel According to Matthew, points to this problem when he teaches: Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them, otherwise you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. [Matt. 6:1]. The motivation for all our efforts must come from love of God and neighbor and not from our ego-needs! This can be a difficult challenge for the politically oriented or power craving person, but there's something of it in all of us.
The Letter to the Hebrews is meant to encourage us to keep up our efforts to be faithful to our calling as Christians and not become "sluggish" because of the temptation to say, "Who cares?" Love of God and neighbor can be manifested in many ways. The wise pastor will remember to do so by short sermons and recognition! AMEN