Reflection on Mass readings for Jan. 26 (Third Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15
1 Corinthians 12:12-30
Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Collecting may be one of the oldest pastimes in human history. Some people collect stamps, antiques, comic books, or any number of other objects; for my part, I’ve often found myself drawn to collecting hobbies themselves.
As my friends know, I’ll try almost any activity once, even if I don’t stick with it for very long. In recent months, however, especially as my life as a pastor becomes ever busier, I’ve been reminded that I have to make careful decisions about how I want to use my limited free time. Whether I like it or not, I can’t do everything that interests me, or be good at everything, even if I want to.
This is all the more true in the life of the Church, where not only do I lack the time to be involved in every kind of apostolic work and ministry that might attract me, I also have to confront my limitations: I simply don’t have the gifts or skills to meet every need that exists in the world, or even within my own community.
Many of us may struggle with this reality when we compare our gifts to others – especially if ours are more humble or hidden – or when the circumstances of our lives change so that we can no longer be as active in works of service as we used to be.
For all of us who wrestle with those feelings, St. Paul’s message in his first letter to the Corinthians should feel like a breath of fresh air. “As a body is one though it has many parts,” he writes, “and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ” (1 Cor 12:12).
Comparison is the thief of joy, as the saying goes, and so the apostle reminds us that each and every member of the Church plays an integral role in its spiritual life, whether they are given the gifts for preaching, teaching, intercession, administration, or any other task.
Every Christian, whether honored in the eyes of the world or known only to God, is empowered by our common baptism to participate in the proclamation of the Lord’s Gospel, to share the joy of our faith with those suffering in spiritual or material bondage, and to build up the body of Christ with our own unique gifts.
Even when we may be tempted to be discouraged by our limitations, Scripture reminds us that even our weakness itself is a place where God can be glorified.
With that encouragement in mind, instead of falling into the trap of comparing ourselves to others, we can bring a new question to prayer: Where is the Lord calling me to love and serve, at this moment in my life, with all my individual gifts and my limitations? We should never underestimate the way in which God can use any good thing in our life for his glory, whether it is our professional or personal skills, our spirituality, our personality, or yes, even our hobbies.
If he invites us to move into a more contemplative apostolate of prayer and intercession for our families and communities, we do so with the knowledge that with the help of God, that prayer can change hearts and save souls.
If he moves us to use our interests and talents to invite others out of isolation and into community, we trust that those relationships can reveal the love and mercy of Christ.
If we are challenged to leave our comfort and step into a new role of service, then we should do so with humility and trust that the Lord’s strength, and not our own, will be enough to help us serve him worthily and well.
As we discern where the Lord is leading us, we give thanks for the honor of being part of his great mission, and that we have already received the greatest gifts of all: the salvation of our souls and the joy of being part of his Body, the Church.
Father Cassidy Stinson is the pastor of St. Jude, Radford; chaplain of Radford University Catholic Campus Ministry; and a member of the Institute of Jesus Priest, a secular institute founded by Blessed James Alberione.