By Beth DeCristofaro
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body, whether
Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one
Spirit. … Now the body is not a single part, but many. Now you are Christ’s
Body, and individually parts of it. (1 Corinthians 12, 13-14, 27)
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain … a man who had
died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. …
When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her … and he said, “Young
man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave
him to his mother. (Luke 7: 11, 12,
13, 14)
Piety
Wind of
Inspiration, Creative Spirit of God, teach me not to forget that you come
always as gift.
Remind me always to
be ready to receive and romance and dance with joy wherever and whenever you
visit, or risk that you may move one without me.
May I ever be sensitive
to your gentle breezes and willing to soar with your wild winds.
(From “A Psalm to
the Wind of Heaven” Fr. Edward Hayes)
Study
When I was very
young, after hearing the stories of the saints from family and teachers at St.
Anthony’s elementary school, part of me longed to be a martyr. Or, at least, my quixotic idea of what a
martyr was: a person able to look the
bad guys right in the eye and say “I will never give up God!” All the parts about knives, fire, teeth, and
crosses were not part of the fantasy. As
I got older and (a very little bit wiser) I thought that perhaps the gifts
which Paul speaks of were what I should aspire to. Especially those at the “front” of the list
such as prophet or mighty deeds.
Today in reading
Paul and the Gospel I see something much different. I see that I and my brothers and sisters in
humanity are of Christ’s Body. It is a
transcendent vision of wholeness and multiplicity. In the Gospel we meet a bereaved parent and
her child. We don’t know anything about
either of them. Was she a shrewish nag
or a nurturing mother? Did he care for
and respect her or was he a careless prankster?
We don’t know. What we know is
that their gifts were being family to each other and that Jesus was moved with
pity for their heartbreak. Today’s
reflection in “Sisterhood of Saints”[i]
focuses on Ludmila whose deep love and Christian influence over her grandson
caused her martyrdom. The boy went on to
reign in a manner which benefitted his people in Bohemia and he too, became a
saint.
Action
It is the work of God
which quickens our gifts and God invites to open ourselves to the creative
movement within us. Give thanks for the
gifts which God quickens, look closely for the gifts which others exhibit. Rejoice for them rather than emphasizing your
own.
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