FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL

OUR THEME FOR 2011
(Part 47)

STRENGTHENED SPIRIT OF A SERVANT

September 29, 2011
Today’s reading: Psalm 138:1-5

This year 2011, God, having raised and restored us, gives us the fullness of His strength for the work that we have been destined to do. When we cried out in 2007 to be brought back to Him and restored (Lam 5:21), God, mindful of His eternal plan for us, heard and answered, raising the remnant, CFC-FFL. Through the last 4 years, God has intensified our formation, keeping us focused on our authentic charism, gradually restoring our strength. “When I cried out, you answered; you strengthened my spirit.” (Ps 138:3).

For what does God give us His very own strength? It is to do our basic work of evangelization. We have been raised and restored in order to be used by Him that His salvation may reach to the ends of the earth (Is 49:6). This is our charism, this is our calling, this is our destiny. We are to do rapid, massive and worldwide evangelization.

When we do so, as all of Christ’s disciples and the whole Church ought to do so, then there will be transformation for the peoples of the world. Then they will recognize who God is and give Him the worship that is His due. “All the kings of earth will praise you, Lord, when they hear the words of your mouth.” (Ps 138:4).

When we serve according to our calling, then Jesus will be hailed as Savior and Lord. Then God will be glorified. “You are my servant .... through whom I show my glory.” (Is 49:3). “They will sing of the ways of the Lord: ‘How great is the glory of the Lord!’” (Ps 138:5).

What is at stake is the very glory of God. How should we respond?

First, we must recognize and be deeply thankful for God’s love and faithfulness. Everything that we are, everything that we are able to do, the wondrous blessings we experience, the privilege of serving the King of kings--all these are because God loves us with an eternal love, and He faithfully walks with us, helping bring us back to heaven with Him. “I praise your name for your fidelity and love.” (Ps 138:2b). Such realization ought to radically transform our lives, our desires and our priorities.

Second, with gratitude goes worship. We do not just say thank you like we do to a friend who does us a favor. We ought to be awed by the reality that the One who blesses us is God Himself! Our proper response is worship. Thus we exclaim: “before the gods to you I sing. I bow low toward your holy temple” (Ps 138:1b-2a). As we worship, we allow God to continue to transform us. As we come before a holy God, we strive even more to be holy as He is holy.

Third, we give our all in living out our vocation. “I thank you, Lord, with all my heart” (Ps 138:1a). We work hard to help renew the family and to defend life, while proclaiming the good news of salvation in Jesus to the whole world. We can never thank God enough. He is never outdone in generosity. And so, with our whole heart, we reorder our lives so that God is truly first, so that He and His work are our Number One priority.

When we strive to be holy as God is holy, when we reflect God’s love to others, when we are faithful to our call and covenant, when we live a lifestyle of worship, when we do our work with zeal and passion, then we will experience that God indeed is our strength.

And because God shows His glory through us His servants, then we too will be “made glorious in the sight of the Lord” (Is 49:5c).

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