17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Written by James Ramos
Once a friend did me a huge favor, one that really helped me out, and I asked how I could repay her.
“You can thank me by doing something good for others this week,” she told me. At that time, I struggled to understand that that meant. So, I helped those in front of me.
I helped a homeless man find a meal that afternoon. I carried someone's backpack to their next class. I cleaned up some trash leftover at lunch time. I drove a friend to a doctor's appointment.
By the end of the week, I was worried I hadn’t done enough. The next time I saw her, I mentioned a few of the things I had done, and she had completely forgotten about her request, leaving me stunned. It had been the focus of my week and drew me out of myself and into the lives of those around me.
When she saw my reaction, she stopped and chuckled. “Did you expect an applause or something? When we do things for others, we do more for ourselves than we might think or remember.”
A little stunned, I smiled and realized she was right: I had grown, and her favor was paid tenfold into the lives of those around me. Little by little, that act of generosity became a small wave of acts of kindness in thanksgiving.
Today’s Psalm 138 reminded me of that experience: “I will give thanks to You, O LORD, with all my heart, for You have heard the words of my mouth.”
When we remember that the Lord does indeed answer prayers, both the ones we ask for and the ones we don’t, we would be good to also remember to give thanks for the good in our lives.
Even in life’s difficulties, we might recall God’s “kindness” and “truth” because “You have made great above all things Your name and Your promise.”
James Ramos is a Texas-based photo-journalist and designer. He loves swimming, ice cream, a good soup and anything by Father Henri Nouwen. Follow him on Instagram for more of his writing and photography.
Pray with today’s psalm.