We Have Been Graced

In his letters, Paul often speaks out of a sense of having been greatly graced by God. Although ‘less than the least of all the saints’ (the baptised), he has been entrusted with a ‘special grace’. The grace Paul speaks about is the Gospel, which unveils the mystery of Christ. Paul is overawed by ‘the depths that I see in the mystery of Christ’. He is very aware that this grace that has been entrusted to him carries with it a responsibility. He is called to be a servant of this Gospel with which he has been graced, responsible for proclaiming it to those who have never heard it, and sees himself as a ‘steward’ who has been given much by his master and who now needs to show that he is worthy of what has been entrusted to him. We have all been graced in various ways by the Lord. We have been baptised into Christ; we have been given a share in his Spirit; we have been entrusted with the Gospel; we are members of Christ’s body, the Church; we receive his coming as bread of life in the Eucharist; we are touched by his merciful presence in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Like trustworthy stewards, we have been entrusted with a great deal by the Lord. As ‘faithful and wise’ stewards, we need to keep treasuring the many graces we have received from God and live out of what has been entrusted to us. We have been graced by the Lord so that we can grace others with what we have received. 

Martin Hogan, The Word of God is Living and Active