Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Besides maybe jousting or hurling (hurling not curling), Lacrosse is my favorite sport. If you are unfamiliar with it, in either its guys or girls version, I recommend learning about it. It has historical roots back to Native Americans. It is fast paced and high scoring. My keenness for Lacrosse comes from my upbringing in Maryland, where it is our ‘state team sport,’ and my experience playing in high school. Well, playing might be too generous. I practiced lacrosse but seldom played. I suppose you could say I was a bench-warmer, though I was more of a bench shouter. I embraced that my role as bench-warmer also made me our team’s unofficial cheerleader. I might not have been playing, but I still had something to contribute. This is the message we find in the second half of our first reading.
Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ.” As one reads St. Paul’s list, it is evident that everyone has a role. No one in the Church is called to merely be a pew-warmer. Some callings might be extraordinary and glamorous. They might enliven numerous people’s faith lives. But to what purpose? So that others can recognize their call as well. Paul summarizes this general response this way, “to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ.”
Practically this means two things for us. First, when we look in the mirror we should never see a purposeless disciple. We might see someone who has no clue what they are called to do at this time, but we are assured that we have a calling. We might be called to devote ourselves to teaching, praying, evangelizing, ministering to the homeless, or any number of things. Second, when we look at another, we must never judge them as a purposeless disciple. There are many people, and I might be one of them, who are trying to serve and minister in a way that doesn’t match their gifts. When we see that, we are tempted to write them off. We are tempted to judge a misplaced disciple as a space wasting disciple. This is not the case. There is no such thing. We can accompany this person. Encourage them in their gifts and talents. Help them find a solid spiritual director. Or simply pray for them. They might be responsive or they might be determined to serve in this way. All we can do is show them where we see the Spirit of God working through them, where we see the Body of Christ being built up.
As my coaches encouraged me to realize, no one is merely a bench-warmer.
- Spencer Hargadon