WE ARE MERE SERVANTS OF THAT WHICH WE HAVE RECEIVED AND LIVED

Charity for our neighbour is again an essential part of our spirit. We practice it first amongst us by loving each other as brothers…

As a missionary family, whatever we do and say is a reflection and fruit of the quality of our community life.

and as for the rest of mankind, in considering ourselves only as the servants of the Father of the family
commanded to comfort, to aid, to bring back his children
by working to the utmost, in the midst of tribulations, of persecutions of every kind,
without claiming any reward other than that which the Lord has promised to faithful servants who have worthily fulfilled their mission.

Letter to Hippolyte Guibert, 29 July 1830, EO VII n 350

“Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” Luke 17:9-11

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1 Response to WE ARE MERE SERVANTS OF THAT WHICH WE HAVE RECEIVED AND LIVED

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    My first ‘reaction’ as I read the title of this reflection today was to think that I want to be more than a ‘mere’ servant and so precious moments were spent and lost in the muck of that reaction.

    But beginning again and reading through I thought of the other night in my prayers when I spoke to the Lord, thanking him for his calling me to serve him and for introducing me to Eugene who share with me the way to do that. This was but an echo of what I have been experiencing on a regular basis, of an increasingly pervading feeling of being so happy and grateful with how God has called me to be, with my ‘vocation’ in life. There is ‘trinity in that – immense wonder, joy and gratitude in that.

    This last time I have focused on what Frank has written; that “we are mere servants of that which we have received and lived”. To be a ‘servant’ of love and life. What does that look like? It can be so easy for me to say that I am a servant of God, but it must go deeper than that – it cannot be just a few nice and pious words. It must be both inside and outside.

    I have rested long enough Lord. Today let me take the spirit of this writing, let my being and doing be a living reflection of what I have pondered here.

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