Tuesday, September 13, 2016

1 Corinthians 12: 12 – 14, 27-31A

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
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.
Some people God has designated in the Church
to be, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all Apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.

Head, heart, hand, and foot. Each a part of the body. Each with a different function. The foot does not function well as a head; the hand doesn’t work as a heart. Each body part knows its place and function within the body as a whole.

Jesus created his Church in the same fashion. He gave us our Holy Father – the Pope, bishops, priests, deacons, those in consecrated life, and laity, and each with an abundant array of talent. We all have our proper place within the body of the Church. The laity are not priests offering sacrifice; deacons are not the head of the Church. The Church works best when all parts of it do their part.

Yet, we live in an age where people do not like the roles assigned to them. Instead of doing the part for which they are called they take on a role of their choosing. They demand the right to a position they can’t have. They take that which God has not given. When this happens the Church, the Body of Christ, cannot function as it was designed to.

When a hand tries to function as a head it no longer thinks for the body. It concentrates on grabbing things. When a foot tries to function as a heart it is no longer content with love and wishes to wander. For the body to work as the body was designed each part must be content in doing the job it has been called to do. Let the hand be content with being a hand and do the best job a hand can do. The same for the heart, the foot, and even the head. The head is not a hand, nor is it a foot. The head shouldn’t have to grasp things or walk. The head should lead the body and allow the other parts to do what they were designed to do.

Parts cannot function as a body on their own. If the hand does not like where the foot is taking him he cannot leave the body and go where he will. If the heart, hand, and foot do not like what the head says they cannot leave the head and go their own way.

The devil does not want the body to function. He gets the foot to be jealous of the hand, the hand jealous of the heart. “You’re nothing but a lowly foot,” he says to the foot. “You are nothing unless you can do the hand’s job.” “You’re smarter than the head,” he says to the hand. “You don’t need to listen to him. He’s a bad head.” The devil gets every part to think it is the most important part of the body and then he gets them to think they no longer need the body.

As the hymn goes, we are many parts but we are all one body. For the body to work properly each part must do the best job of being that part as it can. Let each of us know our roles, do them with fervor, and not worry how the other parts are operating.