Today's readings are about the finer points of our Christian belief. There is a bit of "theologizing" done in them.
In the first reading St. James spells out for us the absolute necessity of the connection between faith and good works! Either, by themselves, is not complete! Faith without works of charity is like a body without a spirit! It is dead! Charity without faith is simply generic and unsubstantiated. It may be useful but not meritorious in matters regarding eternal salvation!
In the gospel passage Jesus theologizes or teaches about the necessity of the balance between joy/sorrow, pleasure/pain, death/resurrection when he makes it very clear that just as the Cross was a necessity in his life in order to obtain newness of life – so too it must be in ours! In fact, he makes it an undisputable prerequisite for eternal life. He says that we will not gain this eternal life – unless we lose our lives – unless we carry our crosses, unless we experience sorrow unless we experience pain; for with these always come their opposites: joy, happiness, newness of life!
Those seeking a life comprised solely of joy, pleasure and resurrection without the sorrow, pain and cross are living in a fantasy world.
This day let us call upon the power of the risen Christ- by the working of the Holy Spirit who was given to the Church on Pentecost – to help us live balanced, peaceful, optimistic lives - come what may!
Blessed are they who delight in the Lord's logic, the Lord's truth, the Lord's ways! – they are so much better than our own could ever be!
No comments:
Post a Comment