Each of us is invited to ponder what God has done for us. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. This is great news, and we are called to share this News in our lives with all the people we meet.
As Christians, we are invited to take the words of the Gospel to heart and by reflecting on them find the Light of Life. Bathed in this Light, we will be able to face all the afflictions of life with patience and constancy. Bathed in this Light, we shall embrace the trials of life with our hearts set on the heavenly kingdom, where love is made perfect.
Let us keep in mind these words that Saint Paul addressed to the church that gathered in Corinth, “The world as we know it and all it contains will pass away” (1 Cor. 7:31).
When Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ spoke of His mission to the crowds, He said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10).
We are called to live this life in the midst of a culture of death that does not respect the dignity of the human person or value the precious gift of life. When Christ came into the world, He sprang from the heart of the loving Father so as to draw us back into communion with the living God and with one another.
The Giver of Life entered into our world to show all of us that sin and the consequences of sin do not contaminate Him nor do they hinder His power to redeem that which was lost.
The Word became Flesh to seek out people who were so caught up in their self-interests and concerns that they did not even know that they had cut themselves adrift on the sea of life.
The Only-begotten Son came into the world to speak a word of forgiveness and peace to people who had become resentful, angry and listless. We have only to recall these words written by
God seeks out the sinner and calls him back to the abundance of life for which he was created. God allows us to see ourselves for the sinners we are and permits us to abide in our misery so that we, moved by His grace, might cry out for His compassionate mercy.
We have the beautiful story Saint Matthew tells of the leper who approached Jesus. “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Matthew goes on to recount Jesus’ reply, “I do will it; be made clean” (Cf. Mat. 8: 2, 3).
God desires to give us every grace and blessing. In order to move us to take advantage of these blessings, God places a hunger in our souls, a longing for those things which alone can make us truly human.
God uses the misery we experience as a result of our sins to turn our attention to His mercy and loving kindness. God wants us to be truly human. In order to do this we must acknowledge Him as the Giver of all good gifts. Admitting our inadequacy and neediness, we throw ourselves into His open arms and depend on His providence.
Because we have received mercy, we can look upon our brothers and sisters with mercy and compassion. The Lord calls us to respond with love and respect for all, especially those who are in bondage to sin.
Please ponder these words taken from the Letter to the Corinthians, “Let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:8).
Having heard the words of Jesus expressed to His disciples, let us choose the leaven of hope, the leaven of faith, and the leaven of love. Then we will share and feast on much better bread with each other in our worship, our witness, our service, and our community. The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms.
Father Jerome Machar, OSCO
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