Tuesday, June 19, 2012
One Body, Many Parts
Dear Friends,
A reading from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (12:12-28):
As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.” Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues.
(Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Redeemer given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words.)
“You are blessed, My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters, who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. You first received the Holy Spirit at Baptism and then the gifts of the Holy Spirit when you received the Sacrament of Confirmation. I want you all to make use of all these gifts, which you have received. St. Paul enumerates them for you. Each one of you has been given one or more of these gifts of the Holy Spirit and it is by trying them out that you can see if you have them or not. What is also important is that you remain attached to Me, your Savior, by praying regularly and by going to Holy Mass and receiving Me in Holy Communion often. In this way your gifts will grow but never forget that these gifts were given to you by the Holy Spirit. So do not forget to thank Him for all that He has given you. You must not forget that you belong to My Church and you are to use these gifts according to the rules of the Church. You are not for example to get up during Holy Mass and start speaking in tongues or start coming out with prophecy. There are times to do this. To know if you have the gift of healing you have to pray over the sick and if they are healed then you know you have the gift. I bless you all.”
Father Melvin
P.S. Please pray often for me today.