Daily Meditation - Wednesday 16April 2008 - 4th. Week Easter - EACH OF US IS A PERSON SET APART

[BarbaraTherese]

Readings
usccb.org/nab/041608.shtml

Meditation
wau.org/meditations/meditations.asp?month=4&day=16&year=2008&x=7&y=5

Acts 12:24–13:5

The early Christians served the church in a variety of ways as they went about witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ.

• Some were set apart as apostles, some as prophets, others as teachers, healers, or administrators—whatever was necessary for the whole community to grow together and build up God’s kingdom on earth (1 Corinthians 12:28).
• Each person was considered “set apart” to serve the function for which God had called them.
  Today, we read about just such a group of people in Antioch. The Holy Spirit had instructed them to “set apart Barnabas and Saul” and to send them off to proclaim the gospel in Jewish synagogues throughout Asia Minor (Acts 13:1-3).

In parishes today, there are still various groups that serve different purposes: catechists, men’s groups, ladies’ altar society, parish building and grounds committees, youth groups, and many others.

• Each of these groups has a specific task, and some of them can seem rather mundane. (Think, for instance, of the cleaning committee.)
• But that doesn’t mean that they cannot find ways to witness to the gospel and build up each other in faith as they perform their functions.
• The truth is, everyone in every parish is “set apart” to bear witness to the Lord—just as the people in Antioch were.

What does it mean to be set apart

? The term comes from the Hebrew word, qadosh, which means to be separated out for a specific purpose.

Our purpose as Christians is to be witnesses to the saving love of Jesus, no matter what our specific tasks. Can you imagine how much good can be accomplished and how many people can be touched if all our parishes used the group at Antioch as a model and accepted their vision as the fundamental vision of Christianity?

• If each group in your parish could see that they have been set aside for more than simply accomplishing a set of tasks, this world would be a better place to live.
• God is calling all of us to accomplish great things! Jesus is able to work wonders through each one of us!
  “Lord Jesus, send your Holy Spirit to set us apart for God’s purposes. Fill us with your power and give us strength to set aside the ways of the world and to live lives of holiness as we witness to your saving love.”

 

[bwhite06517]

DECISION MAKING
How do we make major decisions? How do we make spiritual decisions?

In our reading from Acts 13:2-3 we have

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.” Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off.

Here, the group that was assembled was ‘fasting and praying’, and the Holy Spirit (seemingly audibly - but possibly to all the ‘hearts’ of the assembled group) says “Set Barnabas and Saul (later called Paul) apart for me”!!!

Do we take time to pray before decisions? Do we fast so to hear the voice of God more clearly? Do we take time for such spiritual actions before making major decisions? Or … do we do business as ‘normal’ (in a ‘if it feels good, do it’ frame of mind)?

How is God calling us? Are we taking the time to hear Him? Are we preparing ourselves to really hear Him speaking to us?