God's Co-worker

Readings for Wednesday September 1, 2010

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33
Gospel: Luke 4:38-33


Brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were unable to take it. Indeed, you are still not able, even now, for you are still of the flesh. While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh, and walking according to the manner of man? Whenever someone says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," are you not merely men?
What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God's co-workers; you are God's field, God's building. (1 Cor 3:1-9)

Today's readings are all about participating with God. In the first reading, Paul talks about being God's "co-workers" with God, not being His equal, but rather working with God and cooperating with His plan. In the Gospel, we see people bringing their sick and ill to Jesus in order to be cured. They could have taken the ill anywhere, but they chose instead to work with Christ. These reading show that we have a part when it comes to God's plan; our part is to say "yes" and to cooperate with God's plan. We must always remember it is not by us that things will happen, but rather by God. As Saint Paul said; "I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth." God is the one doing the work, and one thing that we can be sure of is that if things don't go right, then we know who is to blame and who is not doing their part ... us.

The choice is simple, we can choose to work with God or against.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, help us to abandon our pride and to humble ourselves to say yes to you always. Lord, you know what is best for us, increase our faith so that we might trust in you more deeply. Lord, you are our rock and salvation, help us to never veer from your path. We pray for all those who have fallen away from the Church, we pray that they may be brought back home into your loving arms. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.