Woe to the Entitled

October 4, 2024 Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time 
Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi   
Daily Readings: Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5; Luke 10:13-16

I saw this from a friend’s post: If Chivalry is dead, it’s because entitlement killed it.

He was talking about how many people feel like it’s your job when you open doors to them or let them go in the elevator first or offer them a seat that they don’t say thank you or even smile in response to the kind gesture.

There are many other kinds of ingratitude and entitlements that we see these days and not much appreciation of the small blessings that come in our way each day. This attitude has dragged us into stressful negativities leading to frustrations and depressions.

The readings today remind us to be mindful of the blessings, big and small, that abound. It is when we are mindful that we get to see, to hear and to experience God’s goodness. If we are not mindful of God’s goodness, we become ungrateful like the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida. We start complaining and sulking even at the smallest inconvenience. 

What does this make of us?

We become unhappy. How miserable is he or she who fails to see God’s goodness. This is the number 1 formula for unhappy miserable life – ingratitude! 

Call to Action for Catholic Living:  Let’s count our blessings! These abound even amidst a seemingly difficult life! It is when we count our blessings that we see more clearly the Source of all that is Good. St. Francis of Assisi lived a holy life because he chose to see and to listen to Christ among his beautiful creation.