Have you ever noticed that one of the first things that people do when they see a baby with his or her parent is try to see the resemblance between the child and the parents? “He has dad’s eyes,” or “she looks just like her mama!”
As baptized Christians, we are children of God, made in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). All things were made through Christ (Colossians 1:16), so as Christians we bear his image into the world: “For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Who do you resemble?
In our second reading, St. Paul exhorts us to “be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). This means that should resemble Jesus. Our words and actions should be conformed to His. Remember the saying, WWJD—What Would Jesus Do? It means we are to strive to represent Christ in the world. As members of the Church, we are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). We are His hands and feet to serve others. We are His face to smile and share His joy. We are His heart to love and care for others.
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” – St. Teresa of Avila
Conformed to Christ
In our first reading, King Solomon wanted to be conformed to Christ’s image, even before Christ was born! God appeared to him in a dream and offered to give him a gift. Solomon did not ask for riches or power, but instead he asked for the things he needed to be a better servant to his people: “Give your servant, therefore, a listening heart to judge your people and to distinguish between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:9).
It pleased God greatly to give Solomon the gifts of counsel, wisdom, and understanding, which are all gifts of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah listed these gifts as he described the Messiah: “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2). To be conformed to Christ, we can pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Wisdom: to value the things of God
- Understanding: to grasp the mysteries of faith
- Counsel: to wisely guide others
- Fortitude: to fight the good fight for Christ
- Knowledge: to enrich your mind
- Piety: to love God and strive for holiness
- Fear of the Lord: to wonder and have reverence for the Lord’s works and majesty
Precious Gifts
In our Gospel reading, the kingdom of heaven is compared to a hidden treasure, as well as to a pearl of great price (Matthew 13: 44-46). Solomon knew the value of the gifts he requested. He could have asked for earthly wealth and a long life, but instead he asked for heavenly wealth. He ended up receiving all of it (1 Kings 3:10-14)!
“Happy the one who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding! Her profit is better than profit in silver, and better than gold is her revenue; She is more precious than corals, and no treasure of yours can compare with her.” Proverbs 3:13-15
God wants to bless you with His heavenly, priceless gifts. Consider one gift that you would like to God to bless you with and ask Him for it! What could you ask for that would make you a better disciple? You could pray for any virtue that could help you to be a better spouse, parent, friend, or coworker. Could you stand to be more patient? Pray for the gift of fortitude to give you the strength to bear with difficulties. Do you have trouble keeping a consistent prayer life? Pray for the gift of piety to help you be consistent in your efforts to place God first in your life. Think of a virtue and then cooperate with God to make an action plan to help you grow in that virtue.
Father, Abba, please help me to be conformed to the image of Your Son. Help me to be like Him so that I can fulfill Your mission for me. Please bless me with Your heavenly gifts now and always.
