Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB
In our first reading
from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians we hear of the many ways we
can serve the Lord. We are all united in the fact that we have been baptized
into the faith and have received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is through
the Holy Spirit that we all have different talents serving God. Some are called
to be leaders, some teachers, and so on. We are all called to bring the Love
and Healing of Christ in different ways to the people around us.
As important as our
leaders in the Catholic faith are, all of us are not called to be priests,
deacon or nuns. Most of us are called to follow Christ in married life and are
to witness our faith in Jesus Christ by how we love and care for our spouses
and children. By loving and serving our spouses and children in our lives, we
are reflecting the love of Christ has for each of us. As spouses and parents,
our Lord is calling us to bring our faith into our families and to help our
family be God centered. We are called to lead our families towards heaven by
teaching them about the love and mercy of God and to be obedient to the
commandments of God as taught by the Catholic Church.
Further, many of us are
called to be witnesses of the faith in Jesus Christ in the workplace. We are
called to live out our faith as examples of what it means to be a Christian in
a world that may not know what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. By
showing love and kindness to those we work with reflects what it means to be a
Christian. By bringing Christ’s love into the workplace, we are acting as
disciples of Jesus Christ. It is through this love and respect for others that
we can proclaim the gospel.
Pope St. John Paul 2 is quoted as saying, “This is no time to be ashamed of the
Gospel. It is the time to preach it from the rooftops. Do not be afraid to
break out of comfortable and routine modes of living, in order to take up the
challenge of making Christ known in the modern 'metropolis'… The Gospel must
not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference.”
So, preach the gospel
always. When necessary, use words.
From Arlene B. Muller
ReplyDeleteThank the LORD that especially since Vatican II, those of us who are part of the laity are able to use our GOD given gifts not only in the secular world in family life, the workplace & the marketplace, which are our primary areas of ministry, but also in various ministries in the Church, both liturgical (lector, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, cantor, choir, altar server, sacristan, pastoral associate) & non-liturgical (catechist, youth ministers, director of faith formation, various administrative roles).
I agree that family life is very important & so is being a Christian presence & witness in the workplace.
Don't forget that in addition to the vocations of priest, deacon, & consecrated religious life & the vocation of marriage there is also the single vocation, whether transitional or permanent, the lay expression of various religious orders, & the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. In the Charismatic Renewal we see manifestations of some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that were evident in the early Church, such as the gift of tongues & the gift of the prophetic word , gift of knowledge & gift of healing.