Posted by The WORD in other words (2019) by Fr. Eugene Docoy, SVD (USC, Cebu City)
January 3 / Before Epiphany
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
In today‘s gospel, John testifies to the coming of the Savior who would be baptizing with the Holy Spirit. John is a mere instrument, paving the way for His coming. In his testimony, John did not project himself as the great one, but rather humbles himself as a mere precursor of someone greater than he: “… a man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me”
In all that we do for God‘s Kingdom, let us be humble enough to keep in mind that we are mere servants of the Lord. The mission that we do is not really ours. It is ultimately the Lord‘s mission; we are only partakers. Thus, we cannot take full credit for our every success; we can neither be so distressed in our farlures since God is with us in our incompleteness.
I‘ve been thirty years in the ministry of making Jesus known through socially oriented works mostly for distressed migrant workers abroad and the socially disadvantaged population in southern Philippines. They were arduous and challenging years laced with humble successes and indeed with many failures and mistakes too. I remain in the ministry because of the outpouring of God‘s grace.
While I feel signs of fatigue and slowing down, retirement is far off from my mind. I can still do many things, albeit at a slower pace. Whatever I may continuously be doing for the good of the kingdom and its people, I keep in mind that I am only a servant of God. Like John the Baptist, I only do what I have to do, under the shadow of the greater One.
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