One God, Many Gifts, One Spirit

One God, Many Gifts, One Spirit
A Reflection for the Second Sunday after Epiphany
Based on Readings from Romans 12:5-16, Matthew 8:1-13
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Holliston MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry

The first reading from for this Sunday, Romans 12:5-16, is one of the most powerful readings found in Holy Scripture, so much so that I do not want to break it apart into pieces but begin with the entire passage and then comment on what I believe it says to us and how we might react to it.
Each of us has one body with many parts, and the parts do not all have the same purpose. So it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically, rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with every one.Within this passage are the directions for living a truly Christian life, of being truly Christ Like. The first part sentence states that, just as the human body has many divergent parts each that has a unique function within the whole, so to does the Mystical Body of Christ, what we call THE CHURCH, have different parts that make up the entire One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. We all belong to each other and therefore need to stop the infighting between each other. We know that when one part of our body is not functioning properly, the entire body suffers. So it is within the church. Throughout history we have seen the church split apart over matters that have absolutely nothing to do with the teachings of Christ but with man made regulations that usually had to do with gaining control, power and wealth. This must come to an end.
God, in His wisdom, grants unto every person special gifts. Who are we, mere mortals, to criticize someone for the way they pray or offer honor and praise to God? Isn’t there only one God?
The passage also goes on to tell us not to pretend to love someone, but to really love them with genuine affection. It clearly states that Hate is wrong. We are told to work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically, be generous, to bless those who persecute you and most importantly, work in harmony with each other.
The last sentence, I believe speaks volumes especially to our politicians and the leaders of all church denomination, especially in light of recent happenings. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with every one.
Do things so that everyone can see you are honorable. That sentence, to me, would mean no closed door negotiations between special interests and government leaders passing legislation that affects everyone. To me it means not keeping the misdeeds of individual’s secret and trying to cover them up. It means corporations need to be open and honest with consumers.
The last sentence in today’s world is even more meaningful, . Do all that you can to live in peace with every one.We are being told to do everything possible to live in peace with everyone, not just a select few, but everyone. Living in peace does not mean attempting to force our will on others. Living in peace does not mean using bombs and guns to enforce our way of living on different cultures. Living in peace does not mean sacrificing more and more lives for the sake of having control of a country that is rich in oil resources. Living in peace means not sacrificing the future of our country by having it’s youth killed in a land that has been divided among ethnic groups for thousands of years. The Billions of dollars being spent and the many more billions that would have to be spent are depriving citizens of services that are needed here in this country for health care, decent housing for the poor, guaranteed education for every child, proper affordable medical and prescription medicines for seniors with fixed incomes.
This weeks reading is a challenge to every individual who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to all those who worship the God of Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Isaiah, Jacob and David. It is challenging us to rethink the way we have been living and make the changes necessary to be more God like in our lives.
To be and live a true Christian life is not easy in this world today. It requires a lot of faith in God and strength to fight against the popular “more is better, money and power are all that counts, my need supersede to concerns of others” thinking of so many people today.
May Almighty God open the hearts, minds and souls of all of us to live our lives according to the teachings of Christ, Gandhi, Martin Luther King and the other great people who preached non-violence and brotherhood. AMEN