With Our Gifts Comes Responsibility

Ben Parker's wise admonition to his nephew, Peter, is advice for us as well.  He tells the adolescent Peter that with every gift we are given, there is a moral obligation and responsibility to use those gifts; it is not optional, even when personal suffering or sacrifice might be required.  Peter listens politely, but only realizes the depth of meaning when he sees his Uncle Ben shot to death in living out that advice by trying to catch a thief.  Peter grows into the full meaning of his uncle's message and becomes The Amazing Spiderman, whose mission is to stamp out evil and protect the innocent, even when he is reviled and hunted as a criminal. 
St. Stephen of Hungary, beloved and revered king, took his Christian Faith seriously, living it personallty and in his governance of this subjects. He used his gifts of personality and conviction to make peace with neighboring countries,  to eliminate idolatry, and when necessary went to battle to subdue his enemies.  Once he established peace in his land, he used his position of leadership to found dioceses and monasteries, and led a life marked by prayer, fasting and humility. He did not need Marvel Comics to popularize this way of acting: canonization was sufficient.  Yet, Marvel Comics has done it again, using a popular hero to underscore a very essential Christian theme:  that of using our gifts responsibly.  There is a Peter Parker in each of us:  a timidity that can grow into super human strength, when we accept that even the smallest gift we have can be a blessing and a service to others, when we put that gift to use. A Spiderman can be released.
Bro. Rene