Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
(Romans
6:19-23; Luke 12:49-53)
Old people
sometimes find the wherewithal to face death peacefully. Like Socrates, they can be satisfied with
having lived a long life with friendship and wisdom. They do not need to look forward to eternal
life. But, as today’s first reading
attests, God may grant it to them anyway.
St. Paul
remarks that God freely gives eternal life to those whom Christ has freed from
sin. They do not deserve heaven as if it
were a reward for good behavior. Like other
animals humans were destined for death and annihilation. But by their rebirth in the risen Christ God
recognizes their fitness for salvation from death. Those who reject the grace of Christ, on the
other hand, deserve death. As Paul eloquently
sums up the situation, “…the wages of sin is death…”
God owes us
nothing. He gave us life with all its
possibilities for happiness. When we
failed to appreciate this gift, He even sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem us.
How can we not love such a gracious
Lord?
