Three and a half weeks ago it was Palm Sunday. Standing in our gathering space with our blessed palm in hand, we listened to the story of Jesus’s entrance to Jerusalem proclaimed from the Gospel of Luke (19:28-40). In the narrative, Jesus told two of his disciples to go into the village where they would find a colt tethered. He directed them to untie it and bring it back to the place where they were at the Mount of Olives. Before departing Jesus also said to them, “And if anyone should ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you will answer, ‘The Master has need of it.’” When the disciples went off, they found everything as Jesus had described. In the process of untying the colt, the animal’s owners asked the men, “Why are you untying this colt?” The two disciples gave the answer that Jesus instructed them to use, “The Master has need of it.” While the rest of the proclamation and the solemn liturgy continued, my thoughts kept returning to these two phrases: “Why are you doing that?” and “The Master has need of it.”
If a random individual asked you, “Why are you doing what you are doing?” on a random day at a random time, how likely are you to answer, “The Master has need of it.”? Most of us would be quick to offer a practical, or at least rational, reason. “I go to work to make money so that I can pay the bills and support my family.” “I mow the lawn every weekend because it is easier to do it on a regular basis rather than letting it grow wild and scraggily.” Alternatively, we might simply respond to the question with, “Because I want to,” “Because I have to,” or “Because someone else expects me to.”
Sometimes our motivation might have an emotional component. Bringing flowers to the cemetery helps us to grieve. Sitting by the lake makes us feel peaceful and calm. Flipping through photo albums reminds us of happy moments and the people we love. Working on art projects or in the garden might provide a sense of personal fulfillment.
What if we considered our motivations and reasons a little differently? What of you and your life might the Master need? Maybe it is your time and attention. The Master may need for you to do a random act of kindness for a family member, a coworker, a friend, or a stranger. Maybe the Master needs your hands to be the gentle touch that brings support and consolation to a grieving mother, father, son or daughter. Maybe the Master needs your musical talent, your sharp intellect, your bubbly personality, your artistic flair, or your humble ordinariness. Maybe you are needed to care for the sick, to teach the unlearned or to visit the home-bound. Maybe the Master needs you to be a voice for the voiceless, a welcoming presence for the pilgrim, a witness of God’s grace and mercy.
A disciple of Jesus does not need to know all of the why’s and how’s of God’s plans, only that the Master has need of him/her to bring them to fruition.
By Sister Therese Haydel, OSB