7 November 2023

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

From Romans 12:5-16, NRSV

Paul is writing to a community of whom he has no first-hand knowledge and so wants to give as much help as possible in living the Christian life in everyday actions and attitudes. Firstly, he revisits the image of the members of the Christian Community being the “Body of Christ”. As previously outlined in Corinthians, Paul urges each member of the community to use their individual gifts – not for personal prestige but out of a sense of duty and privilege of contributing to the common good. He then moves on to describing the qualities that should be evident in the community, both in the ways they treat their fellow Christians but also in how they treat those by whom they are persecuted.

• • How easy would it have been for the Christian community in Rome to live up to Paul’s teaching?
  • Does Paul’s teaching apply to our Christian communities today?

Reflect on your own God given gifts and how you use these for the good of others and give thanks for the ways in which your life is enriched by the gifts of others.