Spending our Inheritance

We, though many, are one Body in Christ

and individually parts of one another.

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,

let us exercise them:

if prophecy, in proportion to the faith;

if ministry, in ministering;

if one is a teacher, in teaching;

if one exhorts, in exhortation;

if one contributes, in generosity;

if one is over others, with diligence;

if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Rom 12: 5-8

St Paul is never less than clear, inviting and, often, demanding. Since all of us are blessed by God with different gifts, we must spend them for the good of Christ's Body. When we forget this challenge we are prone to obsessive thinking and acting about ourselves. We become self centered and worried about how we are doing before God when the task of the Christian is to serve others as best we can and let God worry about the results.

On the other hand, when each of us accepts and celebrates the gift we have been given, everyone benefits. There is no competition or envy because everyone remembers their role and works for th good of the entire community. Leaders understand that they are servants. Cheerleaders remember to encourage others, and all of us learn to be for others, to be for the whole. 

Of course, this is the Gospel dream, and because we do not want to be naive, we also realize that we will fail to be ourselves in many situations, but failure should never be the end of our dreams. When each of us recognizes and admits our failures, the body heals and the Gospel continues to enliven the world.

Today, accept and celebrate whatever gift you have for the sake of the Body of Christ.

When have you been happiest and most fulfilled as a member of Christ's body?