Tuesday of Week 31 – Rom 12:5-16; Ps 103:1-3; Luke 14:15-24
The clock in the Chapel House sitting room looks beautiful from the front. But open the back and you find springs, a pendulum, and intricate cogs. Without all that hidden work, the face we admire won’t keep time.
Saint Paul reminds the Romans: “We, though many, are one body in Christ, . . . having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” It’s worth pausing there. In the Church, God gives different gifts for the good of the one body. That’s how it’s always been. Parents raising children. Men and women in honest work that serves society. Those who give themselves to works of mercy. Catechists who teach. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, deacons, priests, bishops. Each part has its grace and its task.
It’s a big mistake to imagine everyone should do everything. Usually that fantasy drifts towards what looks like honour, rather than what is real service. The body of Christ doesn’t need a crowd fighting for the same spotlight; it needs the whole hand, not just the index finger. It needs arms and legs, heart and lungs — and yes, the quiet cogs and springs tucked out of view.
I think about what I’ve received. Am I serving well? Honestly, I’m limited. My gifts are modest, and my strength is human. My conscience sometimes reassures me, sometimes stays quiet; the full truth will be known on the day of judgement. What I do know is this: I mustn’t put myself on a pedestal. That would be disastrous for me and unhelpful for the Church.
So, I choose gratitude over envy, service over status, the hidden work over the shiny face. The Church doesn’t depend on me; it depends on Christ, who knits us together and makes all the parts work in harmony.
Lord Jesus, with a humble and sincere heart, help me to see my life clearly, to appreciate the gifts You’ve given me, and not to envy the gifts You’ve given others. Teach me to serve where You place me, to be content with the hidden work, and to trust that Your body needs every part. Keep us working together, like the cogs and springs of a well-made clock, for Your glory and the good of Your Church. Amen.