Thursday, November 13, 2008

useless to useful

Philemon 1:7-20; Psalm 146 Alleluia; Luke 17:20-25

St. Paul speaks of Onesimus and gives this remark, "was once useless to you but is now useful."


This is the power of conversion and the power of faith active in our life.  We go from being useless to being useful for the Kingdom.  

In the eyes of god we are always useful; this is why we should never give up on anyone. 

The usefulness can some times be overlooked because of our own spiritual blindness.  We need to just remember what God has done with us, could he not do that and more with the other. 

There is a great scene in the "Lord of the Rings" triology.  Frodo wants to kill Gollum.  Gandalf stops him from taking his life and tells him, who are you to decide to take this life.  You do not  know what role he will still plan as life unfolds.  

Though we may be through with people, God, however, is never through with anyone.  As long as life remains, there hope remains, there usefulness for the Kingdom can be found. even it means we are forced to be a little more patient, a little more charitable, a little more merciful then the pillars of the kingdom stand firm.

As Jesus reminds us as lighting flashes so the kingdom will be made present.  Each of us as we hold and live our faith become that flash of light in a dark world making known the kingdom.  Just as when lighting flashes the darkness gives way and the horizon can be seem so to we,  in  living  our faith, fill the darkness with light and allow the horizon of hope to be seen. 

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