CYCLE ONE: HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 32ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
HOMILY THEME: UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS
BY: Fr. Benny Tuazon
(Lk. 17:7-10) Tuesday of the Thirty Second Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel Jesus explains the truth about service and responsibility. A servant who had just done his duties should be thankful he was able to render the service he was expected to do. His master does not owe him anything. Jesus even went as far as saying that the servant can admit uselessness in doing so. In this case, service means going beyond one’s duties.
This is very relevant when applied to elected officials. Times had changed. There was a time when public servants were so humble that they tell their constituents, “Ako po ang inyong lingkod, pag-utusan po ninyo.” (I am your servant, command me what to do.” Projects for the benefit of the people are part of their responsibilities.
Unfortunately, they are regarded as our “utang na loob” to them. Far from it. When they had done their duties as elected officials, we do not owe them. How can we owe them something when they just did what they are supposed to do? In many instances, they failed to fulfill all their responsibilities. This may also be applied in other institutions like churches, private offices, communities, and families. It is interesting to see how we had come to this attitude of owing people who only did their jobs.
We owe something when we are served beyond our privileges and rights. We will owe servants if we are given free housing, food, and recreation. Or when they wake us up in the morning, or bring us to our destinations. Anything they personally do beyond their duties, we owe them. But Jesus is more concerned about our service to God. With and before God, we will always be useless servants. God gave us everything. Our whole life is destined to be lived in gratitude to Him. Thus, we are reminded to be humble always. We regard everything we do, whether prayer, fasting, or acts of charity, as a thanksgiving to God’s goodness. Never mind if we tell ourselves that we are useless. What is important is we did our best. That should make us be worthy of God’s favor.
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