+ Our readings today offer us a great deal of comfort and hope. It is
the human experience to be whimsical and oftentimes less than consistent. So
much of what we decide or choose is based on a “feeling of the moment” rather
than on firm, cool, conviction of reason and logic, or even illogic when it
comes to doing things God’s ways which we cannot fully comprehend.
But God, on the other hand, is
simply, wonderfully, and carefully decisive – and all he has to do is to think,
say or do something once – and that is that!
From the letter to the Romans,
St. Paul tells us that “God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice.”
This is enormous for us. It means that once God gives us gifts: such as faith, hope, the ability to be charitable
and loving at baptism, then he will not ever take them away: it is up to us to
use or misuse or abuse them, but they will not be removed because of our
stupidity. This goes as well for the gifts of confirmation, the gifts of the spirit to equip us fully
for day to day life as a child of God. And it goes as well with the gifts
of ordination: once given, irrevocable gifts for ministering in the person of Jesus – High Priest,
Chief Preacher, Pastor and Confector of Sacraments.
This
is a cause for great comfort, hope, peace, and motivation to trust, trust,
trust in the God who is always active for the good in our lives – moment by
moment.
The gospel passage tells us
who is most eligible to receive God’s precious and powerful gifts: and that
would be the poor, the crippled, the
lame, the blind and the like: those who can never repay us for being
instruments of God’s gift-giving. May we recommit ourselves this day as we
truly receive the Body and Blood of Christ in this Eucharist to think, speak
and act in a gifted way towards all we meet today: because once assimilated
into our bodies, the Eucharistic Bread and wine becomes us, and we them so, may
we live like it!
Open
our eyes, O Lord, that we may consider the wonders of your gifts, and
the permanent, irrevocable nature of them!
Amen.
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