“As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10) St. Peter’s exhortation is not only a matter of charity, but of necessity for our spiritual health. Think about the human body (to which the Church is so often compared – e.g. 1 Cor 12:27): what if the stomach kept all the food for itself? Not only would the body die, but the stomach would be miserable, glutted past capacity with the good it was holding onto. What if the heart jealously hoarded all the blood? Not only would the body die, but the heart would kill itself with greed – which puts poverty of heart in a whole new light!
In short, the health of every organ depends on its willingness to carry out its very function: taking what is entrusted to it and giving it away. So too with the Body of Christ. If we find ourselves spiritually uncomfortable, or even miserable, we might want to ask the question: how am I using my gifts and talents to help others? As Pope St. Paul VI says, man “cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself” (Gaudium et Spes, 24). The only way for us to find peace and joy and the real meaning of our existence, is to become a gift to one another.
How can you use your gifts and talents to help someone else this year? This week? Today?
Sr. EMJ
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