When I was still working at a hospital in Quezon City, my first assignment was in the pediatric ward. I experienced handling 40 to 60 patients every shift which was far beyond the standard nurse-patient ratio for healthcare institutions. During my rounds, I talked with the children’s watchers, and learned about their hardships just to provide the needed medical management for the children. At times, I tried to solicit spare medicines and make some arrangements just to give them their due interventions on time. More than the gratitude I received from them, learning to be more compassionate and caring towards others has been my greatest reward. My experiences with patients had taught me so much about life, especially the importance of being of service to others.

The Gospel serves as a constant reminder for me that nothing I accomplish in the spirit of love is in vain. Sharing entails sacrifices, but these hardships are only little compared to the joy it would give to me; for anything I do for the least among my brethren will be considered to be the best in God’s eyes. A cup of water might be a simple gift to some, but it can make a huge difference to others. It challenges me to continue expressing kindness and to do everything in Jesus’ name, even with a stranger.

By: Sem. Peter John D. Arao

Today’s Gospel

Matthew 10:34-11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.