WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

Day 3 - Together... we are not lacking in any spiritual gifts

                                         

Job 28:20-28                 

Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom

Psalm 145:10-21           

You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing

Ephesians 4:7-13          

Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift

Mark 8:14-21                 

Why are you talking about having no bread?

Three Points for Reflection

Job realizes that even though all has been taken away from him, the fear of the Lord remains – that is wisdom. As brothers and sisters in Christ, even though we are impoverished by our divisions, we have all been graced with an abundance of diverse gifts, both spiritual and material to build up his body.

Yet, despite God’s promises and Jesus’ generous life and love, we, like the disciples in Mark, sometimes forget our true wealth: we divide, we hoard; we speak and act as if we have "no bread".

Christ has not been divided: together we have gifts enough to share with one another and "with every living thing".

Questions

In what ways have we forgotten the abundance of God’s gifts, proclaiming instead "we have no bread"?

In what ways can we better share the spiritual and material gifts entrusted to us to share with others?

Prayer

Faithful, open-handed God, we bless you that you have given us all the spiritual gifts we need to come to the measure of the full stature of Christ: for wisdom, for gifts of service and for bread. Help us to be signs of your abundance, gathered in unity to bring the gifts of your everlasting kingdom to every place of pain and lack. Filled with the Spirit, we pray in the name of the One whose gift was the bread of his life broken for us, now and forever. Amen.