Trivia question. How many parts does an automobile have? The answer: about 30,000 parts. What an amazing invention! Imagine the “miracle” of how all these parts work together in perfect harmony each time we go for a ride.
And, we know what happens, when one of these 30,000 parts isn’t working the way it is supposed to. Recently I began to hear an annoying rattle in the right rear of my car. It turned out that a mud flap had loosened; the bolt that held it to a neighboring part was loose—it wasn’t doing its job. A tiny little bolt was the problem.
How many parts does the Body of Christ have? Do you think that every part—even the small “bolts” are doing their job? I’ll bet that some parts don’t even know they have a job. No wonder the Church is having problems moving forward.
St. Paul reminds us today that each one of us—no exceptions—is an essential part of the Body of Christ. We make the mistake of thinking that the hierarchy is the Body of Christ—that’s just the outside, the parts that people see. What about the insides? (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 17-31).
“As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in the Spirit we were all baptized into one…we were all given to drink of one Spirit…Now you are Christ’s Body and individually parts of it.”
Can St. Paul explain this any clearer? He didn’t say that Christ is the car and we are the passengers did he? “Individually” we are parts of Christ’s “car.” When we act as though the Body does not need us, we cause trouble for everyone else.
What are some of these parts?
“Some people God has designated in the Church to be, first, Apostles; second prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues.”
This is a starting list to work from. Let’s strike the “apostles” part off the list—let the bishops and priests handle this one. That leaves seven more to choose from. Where does the Holy Spirit tell me I fit in? If you don’t know where to start, try the “assistance” gift—be a helper, assisting a teacher or an organizer. There is a lot of disorganization in our parishes; where are those with administration gifts? We assume, wrongly, that the pastor is supposed to be the organizer. Not so. Remember when Pope Francis took office how he appointed a committee of administrators. He humbly admitted that this wasn’t his gift. What about teachers? Can you run a DVD player and hand out discussion questions? If so, then you can research the thousands of videos available, choose one, and then call people together to learn more about their faith. What about prophets? We don’t even know what prophets are or how to tell if we have the gift, do we? Prophets are prayerful people who spend time in prayer listening to what God wants to say, in the here and now, for a group, and passes this on to leaders. As the Church stumbles through dark times, has it ever been more in need on reliable prophets?
We could go on. All of us have the ability to participate in the gift of healing. We can do it alone, or better, get the help of one or two others. We call upon the Holy Spirit, then lay hands upon a sick person and ask Jesus to heal them just as he did the people of his time. It works, if we try it; and we don’t need a college degree to do it.
St. Paul concludes this teaching with these words:
“Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.”
Doesn’t this go against humility? Aren’t we suppose to stay hidden in the background and be reluctant to stand out as a “gift user?” No. This attitude is more prideful than humble. We are to “strive eagerly”—to try our best and to seek even greater gifts– not being content with where we are. But, we ask, “what will people think of me, and what if I make a mistake?” Doesn’t this sound like pride?
As we watch much of the outside of the “car” deteriorating, it’s time to turn our attention to the inside parts—that’s each of us. When one part starts digging in and doing its job, its neighbors take note and follow suit. Soon the whole body is starting to work better!
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people” (Luke 7:16).
