Using What You Have Been Given
In the Office of Readings for last Friday (3rd Week of Lent) the first reading was Exodus 35:30 – 36:1, 37:1-9. These verses help form the core of God’s instructions to build the Ark and the Tabernacle. It struck me as a great example of how God calls us to use the gifts He has given us in service to him and his people.
To fully understand this passage we need to know what Moses said earlier in the same chapter. In Exodus 35:4-5, “Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Receive from among you contributions for the Lord. Everyone, as his heart prompts him, shall bring, as a contribution to the Lord, gold, silver, and bronze.” This is God’s call for his people to contribute from their treasure for the building of the ark and the Tabernacle.
God calls them not just to contribute from their treasure. He also calls them to use the talents (gifts) He has given, also giving of their time, in Exodus 35:10 – “Let every artisan among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded.”
Do you give of your time, talent, and treasures for the work of building the Kingdom of God?
Exodus 35:20-29 describes what the Israelites gave from their treasure for the building of the Ark and the Tabernacle. It was not just money that they gave. They gave from the things they had.
This brings us to the passages that were the first reading in last Friday’s Office of Readings (3rd Week of Lent). These verses describe how they used the gifts God had given them for the building of the Tabernacle and the Ark.
In Exodus 35:30-31, “Moses said to the Israelites: “See, the Lord has singled out Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and has filled him with a divine spirit of skill and understanding and knowledge in every craft.” They had to accept these “skills” and develop them. However, they were not of their own making. They first received them from the divine. They receive them from God.
Exodus 35:34 tells us how God also gave them “the ability to teach others.” The work of building the Tabernacle and the Ark was not the work on just one or two. Likewise, the work today to build up the Kingdom of God is the work of all. God must be the origin and the director of the work for “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build” (Psalm 127:1).
In Baptism we receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Gift gives us the gifts described in Isaiah 11:2, “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord” (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1831).
In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Paul speaks of how we are given “different gifts” from the “same spirit.” These gifts are given to us not simply for our own use in our personal lives. They are giving to us to use as we work together with God for the building up of the Kingdom of God. We are the Body of Christ. Paul continues, “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” (1 Corinthians 12:12). In the verses that follow (1 Corinthians 12:12-26), he expands on this.
Do you use what God has given you for the work God has made your part in the Body of the Christ?
We do not need to do the work all by ourselves. We are not supposed to nor do we need to. In fact, God calls us not in despite of our weakness but because of them. Here I think of the Bible verses that were on the prayer cards given out following my ordination to the priesthood, “but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Jesus did not work alone. He called the Twelve to particular roles as the Apostles (Luke 6:12-16). He called seventy-two others to share in the ministry (Luke 10:1-12). He is calling you to do your part as a member of the Body of Christ.
Everything I have said so far applies to all who are reading this. Now, I would like to make some comments that have some relevance to all but are offered in a specific context to the parishes I serve (St. Mary’s of the Lake and St. Benedict’s).
Last September we spoke at Masses about the status of our parishes. We then had two listening sessions to hear from our parishioners. Since then, we have been working to develop a plan from our parishioners’ comments to take what is good in our parishes and, with the help of God, make our parishes better. At Easter, we will begin to unveil the plan and its five goals (see dates in the upcoming April 6th bulletin). One thing is certain. We need help to achieve our goals. First and foremost, we need the grace of God. Second to that, we need our parishioners to step forward with their God-given gifts. We need more volunteers who have been given the gift of music. We need volunteers who are skilled in website development and social media. We need parishioners who are given gifts to visit and take Communion to the homebound. We need someone to coordinate our volunteers. These are just some of the gifts we need.
And we need the prayers of every parishioner for the success of our efforts. What does success look like? Success is doing the Will of God for He has the perfect plan. He speaks of hope that we can find in his plan in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the Lord—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.”
Here is a prayer that I first read several years ago in our diocesan stewardship manual. It reminds us of how we are needed to help make our church what God intends it to be.
My church is composed of people like me.
I help make it what it is.
It will be friendly, if I am.
Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them.
It will do great work, if I work.
It will make generous gifts to many causes,
If I am a generous giver.
It will bring other people
into its worship and fellowship,
If I invite and bring them.
It will be a church of loyalty and love,
of fearlessness and faith,
and a church with a noble spirit,
if I, who make it what it is,
am filled with these same things.
Therefore, with the help of God,
I shall dedicate myself to the task of being
all the things I want my church to be.
Amen.
Peace,
Fr. Jeff