Responsibility

"Aren't you going to answer that phone?" the new president of the company asked.

"This isn't my department," answered the employee nonchalantly, apparently not recognizing his new boss. " I work in maintenance."

"Not anymore you don't!" snapped the president.

How much are you willing to do that you do not actually “have to” do? We live in a culture of irresponsibility and laziness, and all too often we have copied this behavior rather than the example of the Saints. Just like Jesus said in the gospel reading a few weeks ago: we need to learn “to be the slave of all”. How hard do you work to learn that? It is not easy for any of us, but we have no excuse for avoiding it.

“That’s not my responsibility!” may be the claim of the majority of modern Americans, but it should never be ours. In fact, we should be aiming at the exact opposite: “how can I help someone else with their responsibilities?” That attitude does not deny that it truly is someone else’s responsibility, but does acknowledge that it is our duty to seek the good of others.

Something that is someone else's responsibility is not necessarily your responsibility as well--true. What is, however, your responsibility is to seek to help those in need (especially our brothers and sisters in Christ). That is a true responsibility. So if you are tempted to say "that's not my job!" then remind yourself that Christ came to serve, not to be served, and that we show Christ to the world when we recognize our responsibility to help others.

Look at where the Lord has put you in life. Consider the opportunities you have to serve others. Then ask for the strength of God to help you do just that. Imagine what our country would look like if everyone had that attitude?