Paul’s admonishments to the new Christians in Corinth and Luke’s recounting of Jesus’ healing of the Roman centurion’s servant have one thing in common. They both contain words that are very familiar to us because we either say them or hear them at every Mass that is offered, no matter where we may be.

Paul wrote “… the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my Body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my Blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.”

When Paul wrote those words, he had no idea they would be repeated millions of times millennia later in the most important part of the Lord’s Supper, by the priest/officiant at thousands upon thousands of Masses each day. Nor that millions upon millions of the faithful would hear those words every time they participate in Mass.

In fact, he had no idea that those words would be heard anywhere by anyone other than the churches in Corinth he was addressing. 

In the Gospel, St. Luke quoted the centurion, “…for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. … but say the word and let my servant be healed,” having no idea of the unfathomable reach his words would have, not only through the Bible itself, but also in the Roman Catholic Mass.

To me these two examples of words having lasting impact tell me: Don’t worry about the outcome of your words or actions when you are trying to do a good thing. God will bring them to full fruition in God’s time. God sees the big picture, the master plan, and has more lasting, and consequential, purposes than we could ever imagine.

Will things we do, say or write be communicated in ways that will change millions of hearts and minds for millennia to come? Maybe not; but, maybe. However, most importantly, they will absolutely fulfill God’s purposes and further the Kingdom of God. You can trust that.