LOVE AND LIFE January
22, 2012 by Nicky Tesoro MINISTRY AND
SPIRITUALITY
Fr. Rene Repole SJ recently shared about St. Paul’s Ministry and
Spirituality.
Ministry pertains to one’s apostolate while Spirituality deals with the
personal response or relationship with God. One question asked was why
St. Paul seemed to share the Gospel more aggressively to the Gentiles.
The simple answer presented by Fr. Rene was that the Jews were not as
receptive and because of that, this was to benefit us in the long run.
You could say an apparent obstacle became our blessing in disguise.
In all that he did, St. Paul felt that indeed this was such a grace
from God. It was
not by his own power or by his own efforts that he was able to
accomplish the admirable mission work he was undertaking. In fact, he’d
rather glorify God than his own little victories. Everything since his
conversion on the road to Damascus has been such a gift from above. If
people chose to believe in him than in the Father and in Our Lord Jesus
Christ, than he would have failed in his task to convert others like
him.
St. Paul also encouraged fellowship and collaboration instead of
useless envy and self-promotion among the burgeoning communities of the
early Church. Why have
infighting and intrigue when that hardly contributed to attracting more
believers? Much more could be done by working together and helping one
another. From the time in Antioch when they were first called
Christians, the challenge remains to be recognized as such by our love
for each other.
We were meant to be molded like ‘earthen vessels.’ God could do with us
as He
wished in order to promote the greater good. When we allow Him to work
in our lives, wonderful things are bound to happen. Of course, there
are the usual heartaches, disappointments, and frustrations. But we
should take up these crosses with love and carry on just like Our Lord
did. There may be similar trials to raising children or forming future
leaders, but after all the hardship, when they’ve grown up strong in
the faith and they’ve developed real compassion for others, than it was
worth the trouble after all.
Just like one who runs in a race, St. Paul encourages us to keep on
track and finish the course. At the conclusion of this endurance
contest there lays not just an honor that fades over time. We would
have gained our place with Our Lord forever; we would have fought the
good fight until the very end. Salvation is free and Jesus gives it to
us wholeheartedly. But wouldn’t it be great to show how much this gift
means to us if we care for it properly; if we show to the whole world
how loved we feel and we can hardly contain it just for ourselves.
Perhaps like St. Paul, when we begin to accept every bit of what we
have as a grace from our Creator and when we see the benefits of
effective partnerships instead of our culture’s tendency to have a
‘crab mentality,’ our own community can be so much more than it is at
present. When we love, we are invited to do more for the One who gave
His all out of love for us. We pray for the grace to live this out all
our days.
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