I don’t know if it is just the cycle of readings we’re on or the space that I am in personally, but there has been a lot in the readings this year pointing to kingdom work and talents. For me, mass on Sunday celebrating Epiphany of the Lord was no exception. The wise men made perfect living examples of how we must regard the Lord.
First, we must be always seeking Him. Sometimes (often) we are challenged by an unfaithful crowd to stop our search. We are tempted to say that where we are in our faith is “good enough”–but that is not from God. That is from the one that hopes to keep you at a distance from a deeper and truer relationship.
In pondering heavenly things and searching, we will know that if we belong to God, we will find ourselves where God is.
What do we do? Just as the wise men did.
We worship Him. We present our gifts and open them up to him.
Let us ask ourselves: how do I follow Jesus? Jesus speaks in silence in the Mystery of the Eucharist. He reminds us every time that following Him means going out of ourselves and not making our life a possession of our own, but rather a gift to him and to others. – Pope Francis, Homily, May 30, 3013
They brought their treasures and spiritual lives of worship that help the body of Christ grow. We must do the same. How many times have we been ungrateful or taken our gifts and kept them for our own lives? Not realizing that He needs us in order to fulfill His work and plans on earth?
Yes, us. Broken. Disheveled. Imperfect. He needs us.
In following Jesus, we realize we fall short of the glory of God. God is perfect, and he can’t have anything to do with sin, so we are initially separated from God. Spiritual death overtakes us. But the good news is that Jesus Christ came to earth. He was born as a baby in Bethlehem. He lived on earth for thirty-three years. He was crucified. He definitely died. He was buried in a borrowed tomb. And then Jesus was definitely raised to life again, all so we can have life. God loves the world so much that he gave his only Son to us. – Louie Giglio, in Goliath Must Fall
What are the gifts seeded inside of you which you must now let bloom in order to help God fulfill His work and plans on earth? Dismiss the one that wishes to keep you at a distance from Him.
Seek. Worship. Give your gifts to the Lord.