This week's reflection
GIFTED FOR OTHERS
When the people of Israel searched for a fitting metaphor to capture the joy and
celebration of the time of the Messiah, they made use of the image of the wedding
feast (cf. Matthew 22:1-10; Luke 14:15-24). It was a time when good spirits, food,
and rejoicing were in abundance. As Jesus works his first sign at Cana we see the
blessings that accompany his presence. Not only does he bring the new wine
of the kingdom, but the best wine has been left till last! When Jesus responds
that his hour has not yet come, we are reminded that this is but the beginning
of the banquet and that Jesus’ hour will not finally come until he is lifted up on
Calvary.
Paul never met Jesus during his earthly ministry but his experience of the risen
Lord convinced him that the Messiah had come and that the messianic banquet had well and truly begun. The abundance of spiritual gifts that had been poured upon the Christian community of Corinth bore eloquent testimony to that. The
problem that concerned Paul was that all these gifts would not become a source of
competition and divide the community. The variety of gifts within the community
was not to be a sign that some community members had been blessed more than
others. Before the Lord, all of us are of equal worth and every person is called to
use the gifts they have for the common good.
Christopher Monaghan CP
When the people of Israel searched for a fitting metaphor to capture the joy and
celebration of the time of the Messiah, they made use of the image of the wedding
feast (cf. Matthew 22:1-10; Luke 14:15-24). It was a time when good spirits, food,
and rejoicing were in abundance. As Jesus works his first sign at Cana we see the
blessings that accompany his presence. Not only does he bring the new wine
of the kingdom, but the best wine has been left till last! When Jesus responds
that his hour has not yet come, we are reminded that this is but the beginning
of the banquet and that Jesus’ hour will not finally come until he is lifted up on
Calvary.
Paul never met Jesus during his earthly ministry but his experience of the risen
Lord convinced him that the Messiah had come and that the messianic banquet had well and truly begun. The abundance of spiritual gifts that had been poured upon the Christian community of Corinth bore eloquent testimony to that. The
problem that concerned Paul was that all these gifts would not become a source of
competition and divide the community. The variety of gifts within the community
was not to be a sign that some community members had been blessed more than
others. Before the Lord, all of us are of equal worth and every person is called to
use the gifts they have for the common good.
Christopher Monaghan CP
