Easy and Hard!

February 7th, 2010 by Mark Shea Print This Article Print This Article ·

Mark 9:41
For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.

God, said George MacDonald, is easy to please, but hard to satisfy.  There are few things easier than giving somebody a cup of water, yet such a gesture will gain you a heavenly reward, if you do it because somebody bears the name of Christ.  On the other hand, those who bear the name of Christ are not always people we are especially interested in getting to know.  How many of us have given water to the poor, the imprisoned, the despised, or the “popularly unpopular” (that is, anybody who our social circle would gasp to see us with).  It is in this “distressing disguise” says Mother Teresa, that Jesus comes to us as well.  Today, give a cup of water to somebody who bears the name of Christ.  Tomorrow, do it again.  But take the cup a little further on and give it to somebody who bears Christ’s name in difficult circumstances.

Mark Shea is Senior Content Editor for Catholic Exchange and a weekly columnist for the National Catholic Register. You may visit his website at www.mark-shea.com check out his blog, Catholic and Enjoying It!, or purchase his books and tapes here.



1 Comments For This Post

  1. Guest says:

    Thank you again, for today's words of encouragement.  I volunteered to be a volunteer catechist for a prison ministry with boys & girls last night.  My family was against it last night, but they changed their minds this morning after reading this. 

    Laura K.

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