Unworthiness


Thursday of week 24 in Ordinary Time , Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Priest, and Paul Chong Hasang, and their Companions, Martyrs


Luke 7:36-50

Who among us claim to be worthy to receive and and even demand to receive God's mercy?

St. Paul admitted that he persecuted Christians before he was converted to the faith.  He then reminded the people to hold on to their faith in Christ crucified.

In the Gospel, the unworthy woman who washed Jesus feet with her tears and dried them with her her may be more worthy to receive God's graces rather than the pharisee who invited Jesus to his home but in turn made more demands to him.

As unworthy servants of the Lord this is what we can do:

1.  We rely totally on God's graces rather than our own

This is a expression of our total helplessness vis. a vis. that world's call for us to rely totally on our own. On the contrary, only God can supply us with the graces necessary for us to live each day.  What we can do is to show our gratitude to the Lord for the graces we receive each day.

2.  Utilize these graces for good

Never abuse the graces of the Lord; they're gifts which we are accountable in using them.  Record all the good they're doing to us and how we can share the goodness to others.  Use the graces to multiply other graces to benefit more people.

3. Build a community of unworthy ministers.

To proclaim humility or unworthiness is much better than claiming we're already serving the Lord and therefore deserve entitlement. On the contrary, we owe the Lord a huge debt of gratitude.  All forgiveness and life are supplied by him.  What we can do is to facilitate forgiveness in others as we are forgiven by the Lord.

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