On Being Servants of the Lord

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Is 66:10-14c; Ps 66; Gal 6:14-18; Lk 10:1-12, 17-20

1st Reading

Jerusalem was the center of Jewish life and faith. For Christians, Jerusalem symbolizes the Church.

For purposes of this reflection, I’d like to use the symbol of Jerusalem for our community. Shouldn’t we rejoice, be glad, love and exult over our community? "Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, that you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts!... As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap; as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort…When you see this, your heart shall rejoice and your bodies flourish like the grass; the LORD's power shall be known to his servants."

Look at us now, after 18 years of existence as BLD Newark, 25 years as a global BLD community. Haven’t we been nursed by the Lord in this community? Carried in her arms, fondled in her lap, comforted as a mother comforts her child? Several weeks ago, we spent the day with a beloved couple who were kind enough to host our youngest son for the next two months during his summer internship at a corporation based in Connecticut.

During our fellowship around their dinner table, I looked at the husband, who will be an ordained deacon next year- God willing. I looked at the wife, whose life of fervent faith and devotion to Christ is the antithesis of the way she was raised as a child. And I looked at my son, a son of this community. God willing, he will realize his dream of becoming a theologian and professor after his graduate studies. And I can't help but see the imprint of God's grace on our community. We have reason to rejoice, for God’s power has been revealed to us in the conversion and continuing transformation He has accomplished in our lives.

As the Psalmist said, Let us cry with all the earth with joy!

2nd Reading:

And yet even as we rejoice over the unimaginable grace the Lord has given us through BLD, the readings from Galatians and the Gospel give us reasons to be cautious.

We are cautioned not to boast of anything except in the Cross of the Lord, through which all that we now enjoy have been won. Again, favor me with license for word substitution: For neither does covenanting mean anything, nor does not covenanting, but only a new creation. What good is the covenant we entered into if we do not live up to its solemn pledges, if the old things refuse to pass away, and if the new creation won by Christ is not there to behold? What good is our covenant discipleship if we do not bear the marks of Jesus on our body?

Gospel:

The other caution is not to rejoice over our gifts- innate or acquired, spiritual or physical/material- or the authority given us by our offices in community. Rather, the Word of God enjoins us to rejoice because our names are written in heaven, which in itself is all grace. Nothing we’ve ever done or accomplished in life qualifies us for heaven. Yes, heaven holds our names, and our names are written with the blood of Jesus.

Linking up with the Theme:

So how does this reflection relate to the theme: the Lord’s committed servants work for the salvation of others?

Committed Servants relate to the 72 disciples sent out by the Lord. They in turn represent the community. The work of community consists of both communion and mission.

The work of communion is reflected in the first reading: nursing, nurturing, consoling, flourishing, essentially forming, pastoring and binding us in the love of God.

The work of mission is reflected in the sending out of the 72 disciples in the Gospel reading.

We can’t really work on saving others unless we ourselves are saved and continually converted.

As to continual conversion, consider

(1) Paul’s reflection in the second reading- to live as God’s new creation in the power of the cross and bearing Christ’s marks on their bodies; and

(2) the Lord’s coaching the 72 disciples, before they left for mission (wherein they received His directions) and after returning from mission (wherein He pointed to the lesson to be learned from their experience).

In the end, participating in the Lord’s work of salvation is what community and discipleship is all about. What we bring is our commitment. What He brings is His grace. The result is that we become His co-workers in saving souls, by the power of the Cross.