I had to prepare a presentation for a professional meeting. No specific topic, it just had to be current, profession related,
and insightful. I had no idea.
Instead, I studied the word of God for this reflection. The church gives me someplace to start
and the Holy Spirit takes over with the message to proclaim.
The message I found is that God gives each of us a gift; but how do we respond and use that gift. How do we re-gifting the gifts of God?
In the first reading, God gave King Solomon a gift of
wisdom. The LORD
appeared to Solomon in a dream and said ask me and I will give it to you. Solomon’s
response was for the wisdom on an understanding heart. In that understanding
heart, God gave him so many other gifts.
Solomon re-gifted his understanding heart and wisdom to the people as King
Solomon.
Christ gives us gifts even greater than the Wisdom
of Solomon. Through Christ, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. With the
gift of the Holy Spirit, we get wisdom and also understanding, counsel,
knowledge, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord.
It is a gift that allows us to know the Kingdom of
Heaven of Jesus’ parables. The treasure buried in the field
and the pearl of great price. The Kingdom of Heaven we should want to
achieve.
Christ’s gift gives us all we need for that and more.
We celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit in the
sacrament of Confirmation. Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth; for you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of
the kingdom
By the presence of the Holy Spirit, we bring our
gifts to others. Those instructed in the kingdom of
heaven brings from his storeroom both the new and the old. It is a gift
we are to share, re-gift to others. But
do we?
Too many people forget the sacrament and put their
gifts away to never to use them. The gift of the Holy Spirit becomes like unused
and unopened Christmas gifts hidden in the back of the closet. The
gifts we receive as believers born in Christ
are left unrealized and undeveloped, put away and forgotten.
That is not the way it should be!!
King Solomon was called to be king, sharing the
gift wisdom with his people. For that, the Lord promised he would be remembered
as great among the kings of Israel.
Re-gift what Christ has given; bring the old and
the new because “All things work for good for those who
love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
For myself, hopefully, I have grown in the gifts Christ
bestowed on me when I was a new believer and have shared them with others. As a
spouse, parent, son or daughter, brother or sister or friend each of us should
grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit; re-gifting them to all those we love.
We are called to share our gifts as disciples;
sharing the gospel and proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven. For that, Jesus promised, “The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the
righteous.”
Think about the words of wisdom from today’s Psalm: O LORD, my part is to
keep your words. In all your precepts I go forward. The revelation of your
words sheds light, giving understanding. Lord, I love your commands.
As a deacon, my ministry is bringing the Gospel to the
workplace. Today’s gospel brought me a message for the workplace. You might
say, I’ll be re-gifting this gift.
We are all called according to our
purpose. King Solomon took the gift the Lord gave him and built up the Kingdom of
Israel. Jesus tells us use all He has given us to build the Kingdom of Heaven on
earth.
Our part is to keep His words and move
forward sharing God by a life lived in His gifts.
Do you understand all these things?
Yall be good, yall be holy and preach the gospel by
the way you live and love. Amen.
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