November 26, 2020

St. John Berchmans, SJ

1 Cor 1: 3-9

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Thankful for God’s faithfulness

This message from Paul to Christians trying to live in a divided society, as Corinth was at the time, gives me great comfort.  Paul is saying – don’t worry, don’t fret, you have everything you need.  God has given you everything you’ll need and he will always have your back.  His instruction to follow the way of Christ is not prescriptive, but rather more encouraging. It is in the same vein that as a parent it’s better to say “you can do this…..you’ve got this!!”, than to simply preach.  Furthermore, he describes his own thankfulness for the community’s efforts, for their fellowship, and for their steadfastness.  Paul’s humanistic, loving, fatherly tendency in this passage gives confidence. He must have perceived, given the events of their times and given that they were a minority in Corinth, that the Christian community needed this pep talk, this tone, and this uplifting message.  

——Kristine Mackey is the Vice President Advancement and Communications & Provincial Assistant for the Midwest Jesuits.  

 

Prayer

Lord, may we see clearly all the gifts we have, as Paul saw the gifts of those in the Corinthian community. May we go forward, even in tumultuous times, knowing the love God has for us and the gifts he has bestowed upon us.  And may our hearts be always thankful. Amen.

—Kristine Mackey

Please share the Good Word with your friends!