Our spiritual makeup is as varied as our physical. Each person has distinct gifts. Our diversity is infinite. “The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor” (1 Corinthians 15:41). So it is with people. God’s grace comes in infinite variety.

It is not helpful to ask why one person is blessed in a particular way. God’s “grace is sufficient” (2 Corinthians 12:9) for each one of us. Why are melons bigger than strawberries? Why do lilies grow taller than violets? Why is the rosemary not a rose or the dianthus not a marigold? Why is a peacock more glamorous than a bat? Why is a fig sweet while a lemon is acidic? These are absurd questions. The beauty of the world depends upon variety. Differences and what appear to be inequalities are essential and inescapable. This thing is not that thing.

It is the same way in the spiritual dimension. Each of us has a particular “gift from God; one has this gift, another that” (1 Corinthians 7:7). It is disrespectful to ask why St. Paul and St. Peter did not have similar gifts and abilities. The church is a garden with a great variety of plants. Each one has its value and charm. It is the combination of their colors and textures that make the garden a thing of beauty.

Jesus wants our love. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37–38). Think about it! God loves us and wants our love in return. This is not something we have to work for. A response of love is what matters. This is why God implanted this natural tendency in us.