Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Pope Leo just canonized two young men as saints. Oftentimes, when we look at the saints, we see people who are so special and holy that they exist in a realm that is beyond our reach. In today’s reading from St. Paul, he reminds Timothy not to neglect “the gift you have.” Each one of us has been given the gift of who we are in Christ, and when we become this “true self” and live from this place, we bring God’s presence to the world and become holy people of God.
In the first reading, St. Paul is exhorting Timothy to stay strong. He warns him to continue living out in “speech, conduct, love, faith and purity” even though some may regard him as too young to be trusted. He encourages him to be “diligent in these matters”, so other people around him can see and believe. By his word and deed, St. Paul tells Timothy he can lead others and himself towards holiness and eternal life.
Just as Timothy had “imposition of hands”, we have also received God’s grace and blessing through the gift of the Spirit. We are created in God’s image and called to serve God and others. It seems difficult at times to think that who we are or what we have to offer could be anything special, however, through our unique personhood, God invites us to give our “self” to the world.
In order to find who we are in Christ, we are invited into relationship with God, where we come to see God’s image in our lives and others. God reveals to us our gifts, our blessings and even our faults, and with the grace of God we are called to a deeper understanding of who we are. Each of our us has a special purpose, mission, or calling depending upon who we are, where we are, and how God calls us to live in that moment.
The two recently canonized saints were men who died at a young age. St. Carlo Acutis enjoyed video games, hanging out with friends, and the internet. St. Pier Giorgio Frassati enjoyed the great outdoors and mountain climbing. They were in many ways ordinary people, but they also found ways to use their gifts and talents to serve others and live out their faith. They were able to be their “true self” in the way that they lived, and they became beacons to the world around them.
We are also called to be holy- to be saints. When we connect with God and allow God’s grace to guide us and our actions, we become who we are to be in our world and time. We are not alone in this pursuit of holiness, since we have are surrounded by a community of others who are also on this journey, and their fellowship can support our efforts. We also have the opportunity to deepen our relationship with Christ through scripture and sacrament, so we can discover how we are personally called to become Christ-like in our unique way.
Loving God, thank you for our gift of self. Through the grace of Your Spirit, help us to recognize our unique calling and find ways to imitate Jesus in our thoughts, words and deeds. May we glorify you with our lives and help gather others to You. We pray in Christ’s name. AMEN
—Marylynn Herchline