Paul reminds his readers that God sent people equipped with different talents to do the work of ministry in the Church and the world. It’s a helpful reminder. We may not like everything about a certain ‘minister’ but she/he has been equipped with certain Godly talents that are meant to further God’s work.
Two questions follow from this:
Are there people whom I don’t particularly like but who do a ministry well, and without whom the work of God would be diminished in the Church or the world at large? Not just pastors or church staff – fill in the blank – but my co-workers or the homeless. What talents do they exercise for the good of others? Can I focus more on those talents and less on the things I don’t like?
And what talents do I have that are or could be useful for God’s work (ministry) in the Church or the larger world?
—Fr. Dennis Dillon, S.J. serves as pastoral minister at St. Mary Student Parish in Ann Arbor, MI. He is also an avid stamp collector and accomplished magician.