Scripture:
Titus 2:1-8, 11-14
Luke 17:7-10
Reflection:
Legacy: “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.”
A question that is asked periodically in our family is “What sort of legacy will you leave at the end of your life?” It is obvious that each of us will leave a legacy by the way we have lived our lives. That is inevitable. Each of us has also received a legacy from our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and so forth, by the way they lived their own lives. The legacies that we have received have helped form us into who we are today. Legacies do not predestine us. They help to guide and form us….for both the good and the bad. We have a choice to determine how we will pattern our own lives based on the legacies that we have received in addition to those being transmitted throughout our lives from others we interact with.
Today’s readings remind me of this provocative question. St. Paul’s Letter to Titus instructs the reader to be consistent with sound doctrine, temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, love and endurance, reverent in behavior, not slanderous or addictive, etc. We are instructed to be chaste and models of good deeds in every respect. We are encouraged to guide the younger generations, and, in fact, everyone around us, to also be models of good deeds. Would that not be a wonderful legacy to leave behind? St. Paul has obviously succinctly captured the legacy question in his letter.
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus focuses on the same question in his discussion of the attitude of a servant. Here he teaches us to be obedient and humble servants in everything that we do. He uses the analogy of servants who do their duty without expecting thanks or merit. “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.”
Both of today’s readings remind us of the responsibility that we have to set good examples for everyone that we interact with. This includes spouses, children, neighbors, fellow workers, extended family, etc. In fact, in the context of our Catholic faith, are we not “servants” to everyone we encounter? Jesus gives us the perfect example.
Do we periodically pause to consider the type of influence we are having? I find myself sometimes wondering whether one or another particular individual even realizes that I am in the room. However, to assume anyone around me is oblivious to my attitudes or my behavior is fraught with danger. We know that people are continuously observing and judging/learning from us by the things we say and do.
The famed poet, John Donne, wrote a poem entitled “Meditation XVII” in which he penned the famous phrase “No man is an island”. The poem explores the theme of interconnectedness and the shared experiences of humanity. It compares each person to a piece of a continent, emphasizing that the absence of even one person diminishes the entire human race….therefore indeed, no man is an island.
So, I ponder what kind of legacy I will leave. I pray that it will be one, as Jesus proposed, of an obedient and humble servant.
Bill Berger has had a lifelong relationship with the Passionist Family. Bill and his wife, Linda, are currently leaders of the Community of Passionist Partners (CPPs) in Houston, Texas.