May the Peace of Christ Reign in our hearts.
Today’s second reading from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is so important for all of us to take to heart. We’ve heard it many times but now we have to listen to it and ponder it.
In no uncertain terms St. Paul reminds us that we are the Body of Christ,
What does that mean
in other words we are one of the most important ways that Jesus Christ the Son of God is present in the world today .
We are His body.
When you let that thought sink in it can be overwhelming.
All of us, even those who are broken or hurt,
even those who can’t seem to get beyond one or another sin.
All us need to remember this most important truth
We are the Body of Christ
We all have different talents.
Just like an eye can’t do what a hand does, and a ear can’t do what an eye can do.
Each and every one of our gifts and talents are needed and important in the world.
It goes without saying that we also have to learn to recognize the gifts that God has given others, recognize them and appreciate them.
Only when we recognized our gifts and the gifts of others can we realize that we are dependent on each other and that we need each other.
We need their gifts and they need ours
Sometimes God even uses our weaknesses, our brokenness, our illness, to realize his kingdom on the earth.
Once I had a very upset young man walk into my office after I spoke on this reading He looked at me and he said.
Without any hello Fr. Robert he said
How can you tell me that my Dad who has been bedridden in our home for 2 years has anything to offer our family?
I remember gently looking him in the eye and telling him
your Dad’s dependance on you and your family is making you a better man,
It is making you a more loving, gentle and caring man.
His weakness, his dependence is making you holy and someday you will be a better father and husband because of the care you have given to your Dad.
You know that your Father is still a gift to you, and you are a wonderful gift to him.
When he heard this he started to cry actually it was more like sob.
Slowly, I learned that he was upset because he was feeling helpless. He was afraid his love was not strong enough.
He was tired and worried about tuition and his mother and his siblings.
We talked a little longer and he understood he was up to the task.
It was just a moment...
Yes sometimes God even uses our weakness, our illnesses and our sinfulness to bring the world closer to Him.
If we all have gifts and if all of our gifts are unique
We have to be willing to share them with others.
Willing to share them… needs a comment.
I know our lives are becoming more complicated and it is easy to fall into the temptation of only concentrating on our own needs and the needs of our families.
Do we really want a world where all or most of our attention are focused inward on ourselves or just our family?
Do we really want to model a world for our kids where they learn to always look out for themselves first and grudgingly share the small portion of their lives left over with others.
Is that what we want to teach our children and our grandchildren.
Because we are Christ’s body… all of us need to look beyond ourselves and our own needs and the needs of our families… all of us have to be willing contribute generously to the common good.
Our gifts were not given to us just for ourselves,
they were given to be shared with everyone one we meet
All of us need to look into our hearts and ask ourselves what have we done for others?
What have we done?
What are we doing for others?
How have we shared our gifts?
Every single one of us knows that the more we take God out of their lives the more lonely and desperate and violent and confused our world becomes.
The the World needs God
The world needs Jesus Christ.
and the world needs us
Our Country needs us
Our town needs us
Our parish needs us
We are needed because we the Body of Christ His living and loving presence in the world.
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