On the one hand.....

Prayer for the Day

Good and gracious God, help us be attuned to the dignity of the vulnerable people who live and work with us. Fill our hearts with Your compassion so that each person we touch will be better for our being in their lives. Amen.

Special Intentions for my Rosary today:

In thanksgiving to God for Lester Bert’s successful surgery.  Now my prayer is for a speedy recovery.

For the unemployed, that they may find meaningful work at a fair wage.

For my family, that they may be brought closer to Our Lord.

For all families—this is the key to a peaceful and peace-filled world.

Reflection

I always got a kick out of Tevye the Milkman in Fiddler on the Roof.  Tevye, the father of five daughters, attempts to maintain his family and Jewish religious traditions while outside influences encroach upon their lives. He must cope with both the strong-willed actions of his three older daughters—each one's choice of husband moves further away from the customs of his faith—and with the edict of the Tsar that evicts the Jews from their village.  It cracks me up when he “argues” with himself.  I find that I do that, too, after reading Jesus’ parable about the servant who is supposed to keep watch to fend off robbers. (Luke 12:39-48) I want to make a deal with Him.

On the one hand, it seems completely beyond my strength to await the return of the Master 24/7. What about bathroom breaks; what about delegation? Why do I have to do all this myself? What about her/him/them? What about Martha who is chided for doing too much?

On the other hand, I find that there are days on which a few beatings sound like a good idea. You no doubt have heard the saying, “The beatings will continue until morale improves.” Yep, that’s what I mean. “It’s their fault, God. They frustrate me!” Yep.

But on the other hand, there are days I want to remain ignorant of God’s will in order to receive a milder beating. That would be a better deal, some days.

My point is this: Because I don’t have a continually joyful experience of what being a “faithful and prudent servant” is, I don’t trust that claiming that identity as my own and living it out day to day will be a blessed way to live.  Since I approach whatever authority I have been entrusted with mostly as a duty, it seems like a burden.

Yet…on the other hand, there are times when I find the simple goodness of being a faithful and prudent servant. And I’m tempted to want to be just that and no one else.

On the other hand, perhaps a combination—simple goodness, delight, and trust—more truly mark the end of the need to bargain with God.