“Live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your one Lord…who is over all and through all and in all.”
WOW! St. Paul places before us a tall order in our reading from Ephesians. We are not simply called to follow some rules or do some good. We are called to both be a part of the one body and one Spirit connected to Jesus himself, but we are charged with preserving that very unity, spirit, and hope through our actions, our attitudes and our desires. Our love for one another is to be total and complete, sacrificial and selfless, offered with humility, gentleness, patience and peace.
We are living in dangerous and turbulent times. As Catholic Christians, now more than ever we need to hear and heed this exhortation from St. Paul. For truly, it comes not from Paul, but from Jesus – from God Himself. We must lead the way in forging unity, in demanding respect and Christian love for one another. Many are hurting and uncertain about what their future holds. Civil discord has taken on a life of its own as we have lost our sense of Christian charity, driven in large part, by a lost understanding of who truly has the answers to the challenges of the day. Our challenges are immense. They can and do overwhelm us at times creating pain and suffering. It is only by God’s grace that we can overcome these challenges. That is why St. Paul calls us to be humble, gentle, and patient with one another. This means putting others first and striving for peace in our communities.
Our Psalm says, “The hand of the Lord feeds us, He answers all our needs.” In our gospel, we are reminded that man alone does not have the resources to provide for all that he needs. It is God himself who cares for all of our needs. God calls us continually to unite to Him because he gives us everything we need and more. He goes to whatever length necessary – even the sacrifice of His own son – to give us what we need. And through Jesus, he provides us life giving nourishment.
As Vincentians, we not only provide food to those who are in need, but we also provide for whatever needs they might have. “No act of charity is foreign to the society.” We are reminded through these readings though, that we are not the source of their care. We are the vehicle through whom God works. Our call is to be a direct reflection of the One (Jesus) who provides for all our needs. We are to do so with humility, gentleness, patience and unity to the spirit. We need to continually discern God’s will for those we minister to – as well as ourselves. And we need to humbly recognize that we can do nothing without his help and inspiration. How do I seek God’s will in all decisions? How do I recognize God as the source of all that I do? How do I unite myself in love to the one body and one spirit?
Lord Jesus, grant me the humility to recognize that with you, all things are possible and that without you, I can do nothing. Help me to always discern your will for those I minister to. Use me in serving those in need, to be an instrument of your care for them. We pray all of this in your name. Amen
Deacon Mike