Marked for Service
One
time I watched a talk show featuring mothers who were worried about
their children posting too much about themselves on social networks on
the Internet. When one daughter was asked why she did it, she said, “For
me it’s just self-expression. I like it when I get people’s attention.
YouTube is cool because it allows me to broadcast myself.”
“Broadcast myself.” What does this mean for us Christians?
Mark
in today’s Gospel narrates a typical day in the public ministry of the
Lord — teaching the people, meeting the sick and healing them of their
infirmities, and expelling demons. One curious fact in the life of the
Lord is that He always seems to “shy away” from the limelight every time
the crowd gets excited over His miracles. It’s not unusual to find
Jesus in the Gospel, after rounds of healing and miracles, “withdrawing
to a lonely place in the desert.” Today, Simon had to track down Jesus
and, upon finding Him, told the Lord, “Everybody is looking for you!” It
was the day after another round
of miraculous healings. Perhaps there was even a band ready to serenade
Him. But Jesus said instead, “Let us move on to the neighboring village
so that I may proclaim the good news there also.”
Jesus
is not being shy or playing hard to get. The irony is, while Jesus
often avoids the limelight, He does present Himself when needed “that I
may proclaim the good news there also.” In fact, many times in the
Gospel, Jesus even calls attention to Himself and calls Himself titles
like, “I am the good shepherd,” “I am the way, the truth and the life,”
“I am the vine,” and so on. I believe Jesus here is teaching us
something about self-promotion. Self-promotion is not bad. It is
actually a Christian duty. But self-promotion is good only when placed
at the service of charity and duty.
Otherwise,self-promotion becomes vanity, nothing but an ego trip, an ego
massage.
Yes, Christians, broadcast yourself. Promote yourself. But only for the sake of service and charity. Fr. Joel Jason
REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Deep in your heart, do you feel the need to broadcast yourself? Do you seek self-promotion for its own sake?
“Lord, teach me to be generous… to labor and ask not for reward. Save that of knowing that I do Your most holy will. Amen.”
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