That question is just one that is posed to us by the Scripture readings this week
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We hear about some amazing deeds of faith this week.
We hear about the centurion who wanted Jesus to heal his slave, but sent word: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.” Jesus responds: “Not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
We hear about the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet. Jesus says to her: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
We celebrate the feast of St. Andrew Kim Taegon, along with his companions, this week (Sept. 20). St. Andrew Kim was born to a noble Korean family that converted. He pursued studies and was ordained outside of Korea. Then he returned to his homeland, where he was martyred at the age of 25. The very fact that he returned, knowing what it would mean, was an amazing act of faith.
This raises the question: What deeds of faith am I called to this week?
We also hear about charisms this week.
In 1 Corinthians 12, St. Paul talks about the parts of the body and how each makes its own contribution to the body. In Luke 8, we hear about the women who provided resources for Jesus’ ministry. In Ephesians 4, St. Paul talks about gifts that are given for the sake of the body of Christ.
Charisms are gifts that are given, not for the sake of our sanctification, but for the sake of building up others. We might think of a charism not simply as our own personal strength, but as a special way we bring out the best in others.
That raises the question: What are the charisms of people in our parishes, and how are we drawing them out for each parish’s witness to the Gospel?
Finally, we celebrate the feast of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist this week (Sept 21). Pope Francis gets his papal motto from a famous commentary on the call of St. Matthew. In the commentary, St. Bede notes that Jesus called Matthew “because He saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him” (miserando atque eligendo).
That kind of seeing, that kind of mercy, that kind of choosing was unexpected and it was undeserved. It was, nevertheless, real.
The consoling thing is that the same kind of seeing, mercy and choosing is offered to each of us by Jesus! And the same adjectives apply to how it comes to us: unexpected, underserved, but still real.
The challenging thing, though, is that we’re called to offer to others the same look, the same mercy, and the same choosing that we have received. This is one of the beautiful points of continuity between Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. What Pope Francis chose for his motto reflects what Pope Benedict said in his very first encyclical: “Seeing with the eyes of Christ, I can give others much more than their outward necessities. I can give them the look of love which they crave” (Deus Caritas Est, #18).
That raises a final question for us. Christ’s love comes to us as unexpected, and undeserved, but nonetheless real. How can we offer that same love to others this week?
