Tuesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time. Year II (Pope St Leo the Great). Titus 2:1-8,11-14; Luke 17:7-10
Does Jesus’ statement today annoy you? It shouldn’t. The fact remains that we are merely servants and when we do what we’re supposed to do, we’re not to raise our shoulders high, going around like we’re the most worthy of persons, and feeling that everyone else ought to be as saintly as we are. But you see, God does not even treat us like the servants we are. He’s rather always ready to place us on high pedestals we do not actually deserve.
In the first reading, St Paul reminds us of what we’re to do as good servants. Preachers are to preach good behaviour with sound doctrine. Older men should learn to be reserved, dignified, moderate, sound in faith and love and constancy. Older women should like religious, avoid scandal-mongering and drunkenness. Their example should teach younger women how to be sensible and chaste, and how to love their husbands and children. Younger men should seek moderation in all they do. We must give up all that does not lead to God, and at the end say “we’re merely servants. We have only done our duty.”
We see this kind of selflessness in the life of Pope St Leo the Great. He was not interested in amassing wealth. He rather repelled the Barbarian invasion in his day, famously persuading Attila the Hun from marching on Rome. He also prevented Vandals from massacring the population in 455. The saintly man worked hard for the unity of the Church; he left many doctrinal and spiritual writings behind, which gave him the title ‘Doctor of the Church.’ He struggled to make Christ’s Kingdom visible in the Church on earth. In the end, he took no glory for himself. Can we do the same?
God bless your day ahead. Pope St Leo the Great, pray for us!
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