The Master Has Need of It

“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.
We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”

St. Teresa of Calcutta

This post was inspired by a Palm Sunday sermon given by Bishop Robert Barron of the Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. 

In the sermon, he talks about attending a priest’s ordination and being struck by the motto on his prayer card which read, “The Master has need of it.”

The motto comes from the passage of Luke’s Gospel that is read at the beginning of the Palm Sunday liturgy. In it, Jesus sends two of his disciples to retrieve a tethered colt so he could ride it on his triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. If anyone, including the owner, were to ask why the disciples were untying the colt, Jesus instructed his disciples to answer, “The Master has need of it.”

Bishop Barron commented on the powerful symbolism of this motto for a newly ordained priest embarking on a life of ministry. However, he also made the point that it can equally apply to the lives of everyday people. He argued that all our gifts and talents are not meant for ourselves. Instead, they serve a larger purpose by helping others and building the Kingdom of God.

What’s keeping you tethered?

As I listened to the sermon, I thought about my last four years serving the spiritual needs of the dying. I’ve had the extraordinary privilege of being granted access behind the curtain of these precious lives. 

I thought about the conversations I’ve had with many of them. I thought about what people chose to talk about near the end. Very few wanted to talk about their accomplishments. 

Overwhelmingly, they talk about their love and concern for their family, God or their spiritual beliefs, and how they served or failed to serve those in need.

Ironically, we spend so much of our lives chasing after success. We’re obsessed with becoming the masters of our own lives. So like a tethered colt, we remain tied.

We’re tied to our blind ambitions, our lust for power and prestige, our desperation for affection, and our insatiable appetite for material goods. We’re tethered to fear, resentment, jealousy, worry, and dissatisfaction.

Becoming untethered

The dying process is unique in its ability to focus our attention away from the unimportant to the things that truly matter. We’re able to see that the point is not to become the masters of our own lives but to be mastered by love. 

We don’t have to wait till the end to finally become untethered. Instead, we can take up the motto, “The Master has need of it.” The Master has need of your mind, health, material possessions, and your heart.

When the Master calls, be ready to give up all that you think is rightfully yours. 

And allow the Master to untether you from your preoccupation with things that will not matter in the light of eternity.