Devotional Thought of the Day:
¹  And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: ²  Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. ³  Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. ⁴  And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. 1 Peter 5:1-4 (NLT)

” Each individual layman must stand before the world as a witness to the resurrection and life of the Lord Jesus and a symbol of the living God. All the laity as a community and each one according to his ability must nourish the world with spiritual fruits.212 They must diffuse in the world that spirit which animates the poor, the meek, the peace makers—whom the Lord in the Gospel proclaimed as blessed.213 In a word, “Christians must be to the world what the soul is to the body.””(1)

It may seem odd, to read the quotes I start my blog out with this morning.  One is about pastors and leaders in the church, and the other about every other believer, every other member of Christ’s people, also known as the church.  

But this is Monday, and these passages talk about our faith, the visible actions that result in trusting God.

For those in leadership, it means not to focus on the authority we think we’ve been given, but with the responsibility we have been given, to lead people towards Christ, to guide them into a relationship with Him, where the love they experience spills over into every part of their life, from the holiest to the darkest.  Maybe especially the darkest, for there the love of Christ transforms them, so that they begin to reflect His light even there.

The quote from Vatican II is also essential, for it well describes what the ordained are to model, the result of which is that people take on that same attitude of Jesus. For if we are to bear witness to the Resurrection, it is seen in our living the life of one who is united to Christ’s death and resurrection.

In this common life, there isn’t one of us strong enough, holy enough to do this on our own.  This is the result of trusting Jesus, of being in communion with Him, of trusting in Him.  That is faith, and as we do, we walk with Him into places of peace, places where He guides.

So go back up to the top – read the quotes again, and ask God, in faith, to transform you into Christ’s image.  It will change your Monday, I promise!

(1)  Catholic Church. (2011). Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: Lumen Gentium. In Vatican II Documents. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.