YOU ARE HELPED TO BE HELPFUL

Thursday, November 15, 2012    

Today’s readings:

Phlm 7-20; Ps 146:7-10; Luke 17:20-25

  

“He was of no use to you before but he will be useful to you now” (Philemon 11).

“If you would be interesting, be interested, if you would be pleased, be pleasing, if you would be loved, be lovable, if you would be helped, be helpful,” said William Arthur Ward American dedicated scholar, author, editor, pastor and teacher. In today’s first reading we have a down-to-earth-example of a person who was helped and he became helpful. St. Paul wrote to Philemon about Onesimus, “He was of no use to you before but he will be useful to you now” (Philemon 11). This is a play on the Onesimus’ name which means: useful, helpful, beneficial or profitable. Onesimus was not true to his name. He stole something from Philemon and ran away. After being formed by St. Paul he became true to his name. He became helpful. He was helped to help.  There are many people who deserve the name Onesimus. Being questioned what his age was, Colonel Thomas Hart Benton replied, “According to the Calendar my age is seventy-four, but when anything is to be done I am thirty-five years old, sir!” This man was helpful. He deserves to be called Onesimus. Clement Hofbauer was on a tour begging for his poor neglected people. A man, after being asked for alms, spat into the face of the saint. “That was for me,” the saint replied. “Now do you have something for the poor?” The man who spat into the face of the saint was not Onesmus or Helpful.