Fulfilling responsibilities: With gratitude

	Word to Life  Dan Luby

Waiting tables is hard work, especially if you do it right. Balancing the demands of finicky diners, passionate chefs, and intense managers on a busy Saturday night can be like juggling chain saws.

So when I see a server snubbed by prima donna customers who act as if their food is being served by a robot, it annoys me more than a little.

That's why I find Jesus' story about table service in Sunday's Gospel somewhat challenging. It ends with this rhetorical question: "Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?" The implied answer is, "Of course not."

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007) Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4 Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14 Luke 17:5-10

Does that mean we shouldn't say "thanks" to a hardworking waiter or acknowledge a co-worker's job well done or express appreciation to friends for loving support? Not at all. Gratitude is an essential virtue for those who follow Jesus.

What it does mean, I think, is that we ought not be in the habit of fulfilling our responsibilities with the expectation of rewards above and beyond the reward of the work itself.

Baptism, and the membership in the body of Christ which it confers, commits us to following Jesus, to living in a way that makes evident the presence and mercy and love of God.

Every time we celebrate Eucharist, every time we profess our faith through the creed, every time we pray "Our Father," we reaffirm that central commitment to be not only hearers, but doers of the word.

	Reflection questions • What is one way in the coming week that I can imitate the love of Jesus anonymously? • Who is one person in my life to whom I might express my gratitude more freely?

If we focus on our responsibilities as Christians - welcoming the stranger, challenging injustice, doing good to those who injure us, and loving with the abandon and openhandedness of Christ himself - then we won't obsess over whether or not we are "properly" thanked.

We will know instead that we have expressed our gratitude for the faith we've received by living it out with generosity and compassion.

This column is offered in cooperation with the North Texas Catholic of Fort Worth, Texas.