Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them. St. Paul was committed to growing the Church. He believed that would happen when everyone gave what they had to the building up of the body. He could not imagine a “passive” Christian who just came and sat in the pew and expected to be fed. Rather, everyone had some role to play in making Church. That is as true for us today as it was for him. That means, first, that each one of us must discern what gifts we have. The apostle lists some of the gifts he sees that the Church needs: preaching, leading, teaching, ministering, encouraging, contributing, acting with mercy, hospitality, humility, grieving with the sorrowful. We might add to his list: listening, mentoring the young, accompanying the elderly, visiting the lonely, prayer and song leadership, networking, designing, etc. Paul says in another place that gifts are given for the common good. Once we name our giftedness we are called to use those gifts to help others to come to experience what it means to be the body of Christ, full of love and compassion for one another.
