Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Washing the Floor
One student of a struggling seminary in a Third World country recalled his first days there with some embarrassment. The seminary was operating on a shoestring. It had dedicated lecturers and a deep sense of mission, but wholly inadequate facilities. One morning, after enduring the seldom cleaned washroom once too often, he burst into the principal’s office and complained bitterly. The principal, a saintly scholar well-known for his preaching abilities, listened calmly and then promised to have the washrooms cleaned on a regular basis. The change was immediate and apparent. And the student, taking the credit, basked in the congratulations of his peers. Having been successful in one area, he began to be more vocal about change in other areas. Then one morning, having risen early to catch a train, he went to the washroom and found the principal on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor. As he looks back today, he feels that no other experience so shaped his view of ministry. Jesus didn’t clean the washroom floor, though he did wash the feet of the disciples. How can we be of service in the week ahead?
​Father Alex