Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Devotion for today: Serve God Cheerfully

Romans 12:4-8:  Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,  so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

I would like to site a passage from a wonderful book I have been reading for some time, due to the fact that I keep rereading sections and making so many notes. It is an “everyman’s guide to understanding the faith” and it is written in such simple, concise terms that I am finally understanding parts of my faith I never did before, or at least not fully. The book is “The One is Three: How the Most Holy Trinity Explains Everything” by Father Michael Gaitley, Marian Press, 2012. Here’s the passage that has me thinking today:

“Who has the mission of communion and evangelization? Everyone. Every single one of the Baptized has it. But while the great mission of the Church aims at one single goal-to bring all of creation back to the Trinitarian Communion of God- Christians have a wide variety of roles to play in accomplishing this goal…. What’s your role in the Body of Christ? You’ve certainly got one, and it’s utterly unique! John Paul II calls it a “personal and unrepeatable life project” that the Father entrusts to you as His gift to you- and as your gift back to Him. Such a personal life project us not usually revealed all at once, but rather, it unfolds in and is discovered through a consistent life of prayer, discernment, and spiritual direction.”

Permit me one more quote Father uses to make the point. This one is from the Second Vatican Council Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People, Apostolicam Actuositatem, November 18, 1965, n. 33:

The Council, then, makes an earnest plea in the Lord’s name that all people give a glad, generous and prompt response to the impulse of the Holy Spirit and to the voice of Christ, who is giving them an especially urgent plea at this moment.”

This is really an eye-opener on so many levels, isn’t it? Let’s start with St. Paul’s exhortation in Romans. There are several words that jump out at me right away: generously, diligently, and cheerfully. It seems St. Paul knows that God doesn’t want us to fulfill our position in life with a perfunctory sense of duty, plodding through the day serving Him in the workplace or at home with a resigned spirit and a dull attitude. No, He wants us to do this with a desire to go over and above what is expected, to perform our tasks with care and conscientiousness, and to be thrilled to be doing it because we are working for God in His vineyard and making a difference! Can we really say we do this each and every day of our lives? Because each and every day is all we get in this life. Once today is over, it is gone forever. Lost are all the opportunities we were given to share our love of God through the joyfulness and vibrancy with which we should be living our lives. That is what is going to make a difference in people’s lives. It doesn’t matter if you have 10 Degrees in Theology, studied at thus and such university or know every single Vatican Document by heart. If people don’t see you as accessible, loving, careful and joyful, they don’t want what you are presenting.


Moving on to John Paul II’s statement, isn’t it fascinating to think that God has given each and every one of us a life project to complete for Him? Don’t you feel amazingly special right now? I do! I know I could have been born at any time in history, but God needed me right now, today, in the 21st century, with all its problems and upheavals, to make a difference. How do I know what I am supposed to do? Father Gaitley makes it crystal clear: pray, discern and seek guidance. How many of us actually do this every day of our lives? Yet, we must. It is the only way we will see the tapestry that is being created in us, thread by thread.  Look for yours. Spend time today reflecting on what you have done, and where you heart is leading you. That is the “impulse of the Holy Spirit and the Voice of Christ” at work in you. Listen, pray, ask for guidance from trusted spirited-filled friends, family and clergy to see what it is that God wants you to use for the comfort and care of His people, so that they, too, can find the joy in living that you already have. The gift is to be given away, everyday, cheerfully!!!!!!!

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