COLLECT: “ATTEND TO THE PLEAS OF YOUR PEOPLE WITH HEAVENLY CARE, O LORD, WE PRAY, THAT THEY MAY SEE WHAT MUST BE DONE AND GAIN STRENGTH TO DO WHAT THEY HAVE SEEN. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
1Sam 1:1-8; Ps 115:12-19 and Mk 1:14-20.
God is a generous cheerful Giver. He always showers his abundant blessings upon us. The earthly life is God’s greatest gift for humanity. From this life, other gifts come. Some of God’s gifts in this life are vocations or His call into various areas and professions. He calls some of us into married life, some into priestly and religious life, and others into professions and jobs.
As regards gifts, God gives each one of us a gift or some gifts according to the person’s capabilities and strengths. While some people’s gifts, as well as vocations, may easily be identified and realised in the person’s life, other people’s gifts and vocations may take time to manifest, or show up for them to realise them. Faith is one of the greatest gifts from God for the believer, leading to their call into Christianity.
Whether it is a gift(s) or a vocation I receive from God, it is not for me to keep only for myself. In fact, at best, I am only a custodian or a keeper of that gift or vocation. God is the owner and he wants to use me, who am keeping the gift or the vocation, to bless and save others who do not have it.
Therefore, there should be no room for pride and arrogance such that I, keeping the gift, look down on others who do not have it. Having a gift that someone has not, should not make me proud and arrogant to the extent that I see that person as a scorn of the family, the community, the society or the world (Cf. 1Sam 1:1-8). I should be humble with my gifts and vocation. I should also be compassionate and merciful to those who do not have the gift I have. I should also be ready to share and support with others my gift and let them also find meaning in life.
Sometimes some of us think that it is because of someone’s sinful deeds that he/she has not received the gift or vocation that I have. Or sometimes we may think that someone’s gift is delayed because the person is a sinner. What we should note is that, God knows when to give a gift or when to call and when to manifest himself to us. All we need to do is, to be patient with God, trust and believe in him, and pray like Hannah. God knows when to act.
There are also times when some people think that everyone should have the same gift(s) that I have or that everyone should be the way I am. In connection with this attitude, St. Paul gave a powerful teaching on spiritual gifts (Cf. 1Cor 12). There are different and varied gifts given to different people for the building up of the Church and humanity. I may have this particular gift but the other person may have a different gift.
God, the Giver, decides who should receive what gift and at what time, and He wants us to combine our gifts to build up society and the Church. Let us pray and repent for those moments when we doubted God because we did not receive our manifestations, our gifts, and the answers to our prayers. Let us pray for those times and moments we have been proud and arrogant with our gifts, talents and vocations to the extent that we look with scorn upon others who do not have and exercise our gifts, that God may forgive us. May he grant us the spirit of humility to use our gifts for the growth of the Church, humanity and society. Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, MONDAY, ON THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE ANNUNCIATION, THE VISITATION, THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE AND THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE’. (LET US PRAY FOR HUMILITY, LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR, POVERTY IN SPIRIT, OBEDIENCE AND JOY IN FINDING JESUS) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
PRAYER: “HUMBLY WE ASK YOU, ALMIGHTY GOD, BE GRACIOUSLY PLEASED TO GRANT THAT THOSE YOU RENEW WITH YOUR SACRAMENTS MAY ALSO SERVE WITH LIVES PLEASING TO YOU. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com
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