The greatness of nothing and useless: judgment and entering into life eternal

This statement of accomplishment is nailed up next to the main entrance of a parishioner to whom I frequently bring Holy Communion. He an Air Force Veteran full of stories and laughter. He looks at sickness and not-all-that-distant death as just another task that he’s obliged to do, you know, like Jesus says:

• “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are useless servants. We’ve only done what we were obliged to do.'” (Luke 17:10)

When we of ourselves, apart from the Lord, dream up all sorts of things to do which are not His will for us, we’re actually just doing nothing. So, we’re pretty useless. At least I can dream up all sorts of distractions to be distracted with.

Meanwhile, if we set out to do the Lord’s will for us, He’s not merely going to help us, He’s going to do it, meaning, He will draw us up into His love and goodness and kindness and truth, and this… He… will be the driving force accomplishing what we have to do, what we obliged to do.

What an honor to be able to say that we’ve only done what we were obliged to do, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else, just the Lord’s will, glorious, majestic, with honor, with honor, with honor.

My goal in life, so to speak, as it were, is to do nothing of my own, to do only what I’m obliged to do. That would be a dream come true. St Paul says, crucified to ourselves so as to live for Christ.