1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31 / Lk 7:11-17
Watching children at play is a fairly predictable pastime, for sooner or later it seems inevitable that a fight will break out. And the matter of dispute usually concerns what belongs to whom and who gets to use it now. How strangely similar this sounds to the relationships of adults and nations, though the latter may on occasion be slightly more discreetly handled.
Wanting what someone else has, to the point of anger, frustration, and even hatred is no stranger to the human scene. Cemeteries and history books are filled with the sad evidence of that. St. Paul today proposes an alternative way of thinking and living. In essence, he’s telling us to look to our own gifts, which God has given to each in ample supply.
Our gifts, given to us in this place and in this time, are God’s blueprint for us, God’s guidance for each of us to build a satisfying and productive life. And the best part is that we can make that life with what we’ve got, and without taking or longing for what anyone else has.
Take an inventory of your gifts. Name them clearly and give thanks for them. And then use them, share them, as God intended. You’ll be busy for the rest of your life, and content as well.
