Monday of the
Twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time
(Galatians 1:6-12; Luke 10:25-37)
For almost fifty years the western world at least has
heard of “Godspell”. The Broadway musical
tells the story of Jesus’ ministry leading to his death. It presents Jesus as under a spell of
goodness which he passes on to others – hence God-spell. This is not the origin of the word gospel which Paul uses in today’s first
reading, but it does indicate the presence of grace which Jesus embodies.
For Paul gospel is
the good news of salvation through faith in Christ. He proclaims this good news with the claim
that trusting in Jesus leading to Baptism will save one from the sinfulness
that characterizes the world. He does
not mean that the profession of faith works as a magic formula changing the
person as the words are uttered. Rather he
intends that faith in Christ testified by works of the kind that Christ
describes in today’s gospel marks one as a member of God’s kingdom.
We should see the gospel itself as a kind of grace. It offers us the words and example of
Jesus. Moved by his words to follow his
example, the gospel allows us to encounter Jesus and to remain in his
company. His presence will bring us
through the curtain of death itself because He has conquered death.
