Good Work, God Work

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.                                                                                    Ephesians 2:10

My older brother is a Franciscan priest. He has given his life to the care of the people in his parishes around the country, and he has acquired a good deal of wisdom in his many years of ministry. No, I won’t tell you how many years, but he is older than me, and you all know that I’m old!

When we gather as a family, we four siblings, for a little time of loving one another and catching up, I cherish those times. I know that we are incredibly blessed, at our ages, to be able to travel to meet together. We can share stories about our parents, aunts, grandparents, nieces, nephews, kids and grandkids. You know, family lore, consisting of great memories and lots of laughs.  We have not had all that many such opportunities over the years, largely because Joe, the priest, has been deployed all over the country. We also sometimes happily comment that this may be one of the few times that we could gather lately when a casket was not involved. Such is life as we grow older.

One time Joe (officially as a Franciscan, Father Dennet) gave some words of wisdom as part of his simple yet profound theology. He said that “doing good work is doing God work.” He was making a simple point- loving one another and caring for others is God’s work, done through us.  

So, my dear readers, let’s heed those good words of my brother and do God’s work by doing right things by others.

I say, Amen.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for family, and times we can be together, Amen