Gifts that Differ or “All I Really Need to Know in Life I Learned from Romans”

November 6, 2007

Tuesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them. Romans 12:6

“Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.” He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.” Luke 14:15-18

Piety

Let us pray: God, send your spirit to give us the wisdom to accept your holy invitation. Help us to bring to your table all the talents your have freely given to us so that we can use them for the benefit of others. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/110607.shtml

St. Paul offers us a guide for living. I am sure there is a publisher somewhere who will exploit this someday. I wish they would because then people might pay more attention. Too bad our recent round of political candidates did not follow his advice. And how many of them tout their credentials as Christian candidates? But I digress…

Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. Romans 12:9-13

Best of all, “If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.” Romans12:18

Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in reading St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. While the Book of Wisdom was not at the top of the Sunday School syllabus, there in the sand box of theology was Paul’s Epistle. These are the things I learned:

Don’t make yourself a slave to what is popular. Figure out what God wants of you. Then do it. “It” is right there…in between Genesis and Revelation.

Be humble at all costs. Do not think too highly of yourself. Stay sober.

Different people have different talents. Respect them all.

Be sincere. Reject what is bad. Accept what is good.

Owe nothing to anyone except Love. Love others. Accept love from others. Love them back. Honor each other. Be passionate. Don’t just go through the motions.

Serve the Lord and each other. Rejoice. Endure. Persevere.

Help people who really need your help…especially widows, orphans, and the poor.

Turn the other cheek and do not curse those who persecute you.

Share everything. Be a friend to all, especially those who have no other friends. They need you most.

Live at peace with all.

And then remember that book by St. Benedict. The first word you learned in his little rule for living together was “Listen!”

Everything you need to know is there somewhere. Think of what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, would read this every day before going out to lead self-centered lives but led other-centered lives, God-centered lives. Or we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to leave score settling up to God (Vengeance is mine, says the Lord) and did not try to take such matters into our own hands.

Imagine how your enemy will react if when your enemy is hungry, you provide the food. If your enemy is thirsty, you provide something to drink. It will be hard for him to remain your enemy for long.

St. Paul puts this invitation out for all of us just like St. Luke revisits the “dinner” theme with an invitation open to all not just one chosen race. Are we too busy to accept our invitation? Are we in danger of rejecting the wrong invitation?

Action

It’s Election Day! That means four things…

1) We will not get any more pre-recorded calls from Governor Kaine or Senator Warner asking us to vote for one favorite candidate or another.

2) Our grassy median strips and roadsides will be cleaned up and the eyesore of competing political signs will be gone! It looked like one candidate had her signs finger-painted by a pre-school class and Mr. Yuck. The competing colors, sizes and messages of this sight of these makes me wish I were color blind! It just chaps me that they can litter our landscape like this. If I could only travel at night I would to avoid the sight. But then some evil advertiser would probably have the devil light them up.

3) The shameful and senseless attack ads for statewide office holders from both parties will cease. Why don’t they tell us what they will do in a positive way rather than tear down the reputation of each other. (Now that these are over, it will free up air time and space to hype the holiday buying binge, this years top toys, Halo 3 and the maddeningly repetitious ads for special programs and the Bowl Championship Series games.)

4) Last but certainly not least, you better get to the polls between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.…otherwise there will be no one with a sane voice to counter/cancel out my ballot and all my favorites will win despite what Governor Kaine and Senator Warner want me to do.

But seriously, in the spirit of what is called “faithful citizenship,” I hope you thoughtfully consider exercising your right to vote at a time when that right is denied to many people around the world. Remember the sights and sounds most recently in the news were the plight of the people of Burma/Myanmar and Pakistan who were arrested, beaten, jailed and even killed trying to exercise basic human rights that far too many of us take for granted.