My real worth - where do I get it from?

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 32nd week in Ordinary time

November, 10, 2020: Titus 2:1-8, 11-14; Luke 17: 7-10

Where does one's real worth come from? From merely your age or the social status that is offered to you or from the great successes that you parade to the world? From the possessions you have or the positions you hold? From the following you pride in or the flags and banners you cheer for? As a person, your true worth comes from WITHIN you, says the Word today.

It comes from within, meaning each of us understands what one is called to, what our commission is and we strive to live it on a daily basis, without making a fuss out of it. At times we do the little that we do, and go about trumpeting it all around. Worse still some times we do not do anything much but go around building it up as if we have moved mountains. Both of these are pretensions, one worse than the other!

And the worst of all is doing everything that we do, merely to be noticed and praised and to be given the social recognition that I am an important person in the vicinity. I want so badly, everyone around me to notice me, recognise be, accept me, appreciate me and hail me... or at least, everyone to have a good word about me! But is that the real source of my worth! Am I not selling myself to their whims and fancies? Am I not surrendering myself at the feet of those, that they dictate to me when I have to be happy and when not! What a way to squander the precious gift of life that I have received!

What is missing here is the fact that, first of all we forget the fact that our life is precious, and a gift; secondly, we fail to remind ourselves, it is the Lord who has given this life to me...not those around me! Thirdly, and above all, there is the image of God so deeply ingrained in me - that is the goodness WITHIN me. 

Christian life is all about living that essential goodness which we have within from the very fact that we are children of God, and never expecting to be lauded for what we do, because what we do is what we have to do! Jesus puts it so plainly in today's Gospel: we have done only what we ought to have done (Lk 17:10).