Faith Expressed in Charity toward Oneself and in Service to Others

St. James, in today’s first reading, James 2: 14-24, 26, asks us what good is our faith without good works. “See,” he says, “how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” Sometimes the good works that manifest our faith is being good to ourselves, saying no to “the millionth” request to become involved in one more good work! How hard it is for us workaholics to pull back or to say “no” when we are already overextended or over involved. Do I have enough faith in God and in others to 1) say “no” when one more task is over my limit, 2) to trust that others are capable of doing that to which I need to say “no, not now; my plate is full”, or when I need to take a day off—even a vacation and/or a retreat day and do nothing but rest in the Lord. Last night one of my fellow religious with whom I live asked me: “When are you going to say “no”? The fact that I felt defensive and hurt was an indication that she hit the nail on the head of what I was called to do at this point in time: exercise my faith by saying “no” to the next request to take on another commitment. What about you? Is your faith supported by good works, including the good work of being kind to yourself when you need to pull back and rest in the Lord, take a retreat day or a vacation day to regroup, rejuvenate yourself personally or as a couple so that you have something worthwhile to give in service to others/to your family?