Defining Spiritual Persons

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 22nd week in Ordinary time

August 31, 2022: 1 Corinthians 3: 1-9; Luke 4: 38-44

Paul feels bad about the fact that he is not able to speak to the Corinthians as to Spiritual people, because of jealousy, rivalry and division among them. He presents those predicaments as directly opposed to being spiritual people. The same criteria would apply even today and even to us!

Jesus in the Gospel shines as a role model in being a Spiritual person or in other words, a person of the Spirit. He heals, casts out demons and refuses to gain any popularity mileage out of it. He rebukes the demons even, not to announce his Christ-image, as he wants the people to experience him personally in the depths of their hearts, each one hearing him or following him. He has no urge for popularity or no sense of jealousy or rivalry with the others.

Are jealousy, rivalry, infights and other divisive tendencies totally absent today in our communities? Leave alone the communities; what about my heart, is it totally free of these unspiritual attitudes? If not, I still am an immature believer. I may be outstanding in carrying out my so called spiritual duties and daily pious routines... but my faith still remains infantile. 

St. Paul, in a way, defines who a spiritually mature person is: one who is integral in his or her outlook, unifying in his or her relationships, loving in his or her consideration of the other and God centered in his or her understanding of one's own identity vis-a-vis the faith community. That is a solid sign of spiritual maturity.

Spiritual Persons are persons of the Spirit, and what matters to them is the action of the Spirit within themselves and within their communities! They would know it and they would submit to it wholeheartedly.