Homily, 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
We have now officially left the Christmas season, and have begun Ordinary Time. It’s also the year where we will hear a lot from the Gospel of Luke … my favorite Gospel. And this year is also the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of the church, the Council of Nicaea – out of which came that succinct and eloquent description of what we believe, the Nicene Creed. If anyone asks you what it is that you believe, this creed says it all. And to honor that anniversary, we will be hearing the Nicene creed all year. And if all that wasn’t enough, it is also the beginning of the week of prayer for Christian Unity.
It seems there are a lot of themes to choose from on this beginning of the season of Ordinary Time. So perhaps, since we will be celebrating a Marriage Sunday in February, and will reflect on our creed throughout the year, as we are nourished by Luke’s gospel, maybe today we can take a few moments to reflect on why Christian Unity is important to us.
Let’s be honest. Many people feel uneasy when they hear of Christian unity. They fear that Christian unity means putting everyone into the same mould, the same form of worship, the same way of serving God. No, Christian unity is not Christian uniformity.
God gives God’s children varieties of gifts. Some are more intellectual and love to spend hours reading and reflecting of the Word of God, others are more charismatic and would rather sing praises, pray in tongues, shout alleluia and make a joyful noise to the Lord, and yet others are more service oriented and would rather spend their time helping the sick and feeding the hungry. The varieties of gifts God gives to God’s daughters and sons are for the common good, yet all too often we have selfishly used them as grounds for rivalry between believers. Too often we focus on the differences we have with other Christians, and don’t see the similarities.
St. Paul had something to say about this, as we heard in our second reading…. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Paul encourages us to engage in different services and ministries because we have different spiritual gifts. But he warns that we should not be so engrossed in the various works we do for the Lord, that we forget the one Lord of the work. In the various services, modes of prayer, styles of worship, we see diversity. In the one Lord, we see unity.
This week, take time each day to reflect on how Paul’s message will enter into your life. Perhaps that is by taking time each day to discover and pray for other Christian denominations. Maybe even join in an ecumenical service. Our Canadian bishops have even put resources online to help you. See weekofprayer.ca
But while we are doing that, perhaps we can take also time for some personal spiritual growth. What do I mean by that? Jesus begins his ministry at the wedding in Cana with the first of many miracles. But notice – the miracles are never for himself. They are always for others. God’s miracles are not for an individual benefit, but for the benefit of others. The same is true of God’s gifts to individuals – they are not meant primarily for that person or their families’ benefit but for the service of others. As Christians, and Catholics, do we really understand what Paul meant when he said “to each person is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good,” For the Common Good, not for personal gain. Perhaps as we begin Ordinary Time, it is a good time to ask ourselves: “What gifts has God given me? And perhaps more importantly, am I using these gifts mainly for my own personal gain? … or for the service of others in the community.
As we enter this week of prayer for Christmas Unity, may God’s spirit enlighten our minds to see all that we share in common with believers in Christ , and help us to understand and live out our call to put the gifts we receive from God at the service of others for the common good.