What Can We Do For You, Lord?
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” – 2 Corinthians 9:15
In this Scripture passage from Second Corinthians, St. Paul is speaking to the people of Corinth in the year 57 A.D. These Epistles are the most personal and passionate of his letters because he finds himself defending his ministry. Do you know what gift St. Paul is referring to? This gift is grace!
My own gratitude for the gifts of faith and grace has been in my heart and on my mind for many years. God has given us so much, and I wonder every day what I can do to give back to Him. Several years ago while I was walking outdoors and enjoying the beautiful weather, my immediate thoughts were to the One who had created it all. I wanted to share my passion, and I love writing. I pitched a column idea to Paul Leingang, who was editor for The Message at the time. Years later, I am still sharing my musings in this column, “Gratitude for the Gift of Faith.”
We should be thankful people, and our appreciation must emphasize that this gift comes from Christ, ascribing all the glory to Him. We have an obligation to communicate the message of Truth while living worthily and offering ourselves to make this gift known to others. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we have salvation – an opportunity for eternal life. This immeasurable gift of his love is where every other good thing, pertaining to life is freely given to us. This statement is either unappreciated and ignored, or simply never understood.
The culture we live in appears to be much like the environment of the early Christians in 57 AD – uninformed or unwilling to accept the gift God freely gives. The obligation to share these truths is often challenging. Talking about our own experiences and relationship with God can be tough, but taking the chance may inspire those around you. We must emphasize God’s role in our life experiences, and that is exactly the reason I humbly write this column.
We compartmentalize our life experiences with personal goals and worldly success. We challenge ourselves to be the best we can be through education and career promotions, which are all very important. The accolades we receive from time to time are great affirmation, but do we truly understand where these gifts come from? The Apostle Paul is strongly suggesting to those in Corinth that knowledge of the wonderful grace of God in the gift of His Son should be generously shared. God is counting on our generosity!
Please find a way to share what God is doing in your life. I hope the words I share adequately express how grateful I am for the life God has given to me. My Catholic faith has always played a very strong and valuable role in my life. I may not always be on the right path, and there are times that I may miss the signs of His guidance. But I can tell you with great certainty; my spirit jumps for joy when I follow the promptings. I truly believe that when we are passionate and personal about serving God, He gives us everything we need for the journey! After all, through our Baptism, we are all called to be priests, prophets and kings! Amen!
