That's a common question we ask ourselves when we are called to serve. At work, our natural expectation is that we put in the hours and in turn are recognised through promotions and increments. In our families, we expect undivided appreciation because of the time spent toiling away in order to support them.

Are we then measuring the need to serve by how well we are being served in return?

It is instinctive even to expect things in return. We crave for the instanteneous gratification that we lose the true meaning of the gift to serve.

As we reflect on this Sunday's readings, we see Christ as the authority, and that we are called to make Him the centre of our lives. But how does that look in our own lives? In the context of family, it means to prioritise the family above all. The family is the visible sign of God's love, and so in prioritising the family through the time spent with them, are we then able to respond to God's call. However, prioritising the family doesn't mean that we will always receive the appreciation we desire. And that is okay, because doing good is not about what we receive, but what we give.

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. 𝘛𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴; 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭. 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦." 𝘚𝘵 𝘐𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘺𝘰𝘭𝘢.

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