Discernment of the Caliber of My
Discipleship: In today’s first reading,
1 Peter 4: 7-13, St. Peter reminds us that “the end of all things is at hand. Therefore be serious and sober-minded.” In other words, pay attention to that which
is important and vital to your well- being spiritually and to the well-being of
others—do not occupy yourself with that which is trivial or of minor
significance. Live thoughtfully! Live a
life full of meaning. Peter then looks
at what that kind of life would entail. He says: “…[L]et your love for one another be intense…Be
hospitable to one another without complaining.
…[S]erve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” Do all of this “with the strength that God
supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to
whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
How do I know whether I am living these
Scripture challenges? We know by using
Jesus as our model. Jesus loved intensely and served others to the point of
giving His life for our well-being! At
one point Jesus’ mother and brothers and sisters (cousins) were very concerned
about Jesus because He was so busy meeting other people’s needs and being about
the ministry His Father entrusted to Him that He seemed to ignore His own
basic needs.
To what point am I willing to sacrifice for
the well-being of a member of my family, one’s wife/husband/children? How willing
am I to sacrifice for a member of my religious community or of my parish; for a
co-worker, a terminally ill patient, a chronically ill person, a mentally ill
individual, an alcoholic/drug addict or whomever God puts on my path today?
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