Meditation
for Saturday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
(Eph
4:7-16; Lk 13:1-9)
As members of the one body, sharing in the one Spirit in
Christ, St. Paul explains that “Grace was given to each of us according to the
measure of Christ’s gift.” It is not the will of God that any member of the
body of Christ become indifferent or inactive. He demonstrates how these unique
graces are so precious, since Jesus Christ won them for us through His ascension
on high, after he descended into the lower parts of the earth. These specific
graces manifest different apostolic duties in us; “And His gifts were that some
should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.”
These gifts are “For the equipment of the saints, for the work of ministry, for
building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of God.”
It is obvious from St. Paul’s message that we must discover
our own unique position in the body of Christ, and fulfill those apostolic
duties. The grace of God cannot be given in vain (2 Cor 6:1). We are a pilgrim
people, growing “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” By putting
the grace we have received to use, we draw closer to Christ, and at the same
time, we help others to mature in faith and knowledge of Jesus. If we are not
growing in Christ, we will be like children, tossed back and forth and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness
in deceitful wiles.
Think about how many people today claim to be members
of the Church but do not actively get involved in the spiritual life of the
Church. Such people cannot help others grow in their relationship with Christ. Worse
still, they are easily carried away by waves of strange doctrines. That is why
we must adjust our lives to give room for the grace we have received to bear
fruit. If we do not contribute to the building of the body of Christ, we shall
be cut off from the body of Christ like the fig tree in the parable we read in
the gospel of today. Hence, St. Paul urged us to speak the truth in love; this
is how we grow up in every way into Christ, in whom all the joints are joined
and knit together. When each part is working properly, there is growth, and the
body upbuilds itself in love. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Saturday October 22, 2022.
