There is an old, but rather cynical saying which claims, “No good deed goes unpunished.” It seems that no matter what our intentions or how well-meaning our efforts, the good we do is often scrutinized and criticized by others. Look at Mother Teresa prior to her later years of fame and notoriety: despite her dedicated sacrifices and a life-long commitment to the poor, diseased, and discarded of India, she was constantly chided and be-rated for wasting resources (food, medicine, money) on those who were dying!

Like our much-beleaguered Lord before us, every saint who ever walked this earth had to put up with their detractors. None of them were without opposition from some quarter or other, and St. Peter clearly reiterates this in his first epistle, saying, “it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong” (1st Peter 3:17). In other words, by continuing to do good works in the face of criticism we do nothing other than walk in the footsteps of Christ, Who Himself, was criticized, brutalized, and suffered crucifixion from those very same critics (sinners) He came to save!

It may be true that no good deed goes unpunished, but even so, by enduring such criticism in Christ-like fashion, the good still gets done and we stand firmly upon the path of righteousness.