Posted by The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Emmanuel Menguito SVD – Christ the King Seminary, Quezon City
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
A common thinking among us priests and religious is that the most unrewarding job for us is formation work. A formator is one who accompanies candidates as they respond to the priestly and religious vocation when undergoing religious formation. Unrewarding could be taken in the sense that a formator could be working him/herself to the hilt and get a minimum of appreciation from his/her formandees.
I have been a formator for more than thirty years and I surely know what this means. Mind you, no regrets in this kind of work. Being in formation work has surely its rewards and, much more, its many joys and fulfilling returns.
I came to reflect on my experience as a formator upon reading the line in today’s Gospel about the reward for those giving even a cup of water to those who belong to Christ. I believe that to choose the priestly and religious life for the perks, privileges and even the status that such a life brings is surely a very poor motivation. This life is a life of sacrifice and free renunciation of most of the things that a comfortable life can offer.
But at the same time I am convinced that the Lord said what he said in order to encourage people to be more sensitive to the needs of those who serve them. Jesus is certainly saying to all of us that we be more supportive of those who have given up so much of their lives so that they will be sustained in their ministries, be strengthened when they find themselves weakening and help them stand when they are about to fall. It is not really asking too much, I believe.
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