Tuesday November 13
Introduction
Paul writes to Titus that Christ has given himself for the Church. The community should bear witness to this by the kind of life people lead, each according to one’s state in life.
The words of Jesus in the gospel of today seem to be directed more to the Pharisees and scribes, who claimed to be servants of God, than to the apostles. They were self-assured servants; they computed their merits for what they had done for God and asserted their right to his rewards. Perhaps the apostles too were not always too modest in their claims as companions of Jesus. All should put their trust in God and leave everything to him. Not what we have done for God counts, but what he does for us in his mercy. We are in his hands.
Opening Prayer
God, merciful Father,
you know what is in our hearts.
Whether our Intercessions are good or selfish,
we leave everything
to your compassionate judgment.
But this we ask of you:
Confirm us in the will
to serve you and our people
in loyalty and love
and for the rest, we are in your hands,
for you are our God and Father
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Reading 1 TI 2:1-8, 11-14
Beloved:
You must say what is consistent with sound doctrine,
namely, that older men should be temperate, dignified,
self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance.
Similarly, older women should be reverent in their behavior,
not slanderers, not addicted to drink,
teaching what is good, so that they may train younger women
to love their husbands and children,
to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers,
under the control of their husbands,
so that the word of God may not be discredited.
Urge the younger men, similarly, to control themselves,
showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect,
with integrity in your teaching, dignity, and sound speech
that cannot be criticized,
so that the opponent will be put to shame
without anything bad to say about us.
For the grace of God has appeared, saving all
and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires
and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,
as we await the blessed hope,
the appearance of the glory of the great God
and of our savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness
and to cleanse for himself a people as his own,
eager to do what is good.
Responsorial PsalmPS 37:3-4, 18 AND 23, 27 AND 29
R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm,
and he approves his way.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
The just shall possess the land
and dwell in it forever.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Alleluia JN 14:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 17:7-10
Jesus said to the Apostles:
"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
Intercessions
– Lord, let rewards and honors come to us as surprises, rather than as something we deserve, we pray:
– Lord, for us and all who are baptized, that we may follow Christ, your perfect servant, and that with him we may serve rather than demand to be served, we pray:
– That leaders in the Church and in the world may serve the interests of their people rather than their own, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
we have often been useless servants
who have not done what you expected of us.
And yet you invite us to your table
and serve us the best food and drink,
your Son Jesus Christ.
Make us trustworthy and loyal
like your faithful servant,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
without any merit on our part,
you have called us to be
your sons and daughters
through your loyal Son and servant Jesus Christ.
Give us the humble strength
not to consider this gift from you
as a title to privileges and awards
but a trust and a responsibility
to serve you in people
and to make your love known to all.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
We should not boast to God of what we have done for him. Everything we could do was a gift from him. So let us thank God. May he bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
In relation to God, we are servants. Does this statement evoke negative feelings in you? It should not. For, we are talking not about the kind of human slavery that is despicable, but about servanthood that flows from freedom and love. It is the kind of servanthood Jesus showed towards his Father and to each of us. He declared: “The Son of Man has come not to be served, but to serve” (Matt 20:28). In such a servanthood of love, we do what is asked of us; and even more than what is asked of us. We do not claim any special favors and privileges for what we have done, for the love that wells up in us when we do service to God is its own reward.
How different the world would be if we were to do service to God and our fellow human beings and obey God’s commandments as our sacred duty, rather than clamor for our every right and privilege!
