Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
(Romans 1:1-7; Luke 1129-32)
The first words of Paul’s Letter to the Romans jump out at
the reader. He calls himself “a slave of
Jesus Christ.” Many think of a slave as
a servant who is forced to work and is randomly abused. But Paul has another sense of the word in mind
here. He sees himself as acting
implicitly according to the will of Jesus Christ. His condition is not oppressive because he
knows that Christ is the Son of God who loves him thoroughly.
As Christ’s slave, Paul cannot but respond to his call to bring
others to the obedience of faith. The
Holy Spirit moves him beyond lockstep fulfilment out of orders to an authentic
love for his listeners. Paul hopes that
they will join him in pursuit of eternal joy as members of God’s family.
For some of us being a Christian may seem oppressive. We may think that Christian morals deprive us
of fun and limits our opportunities for advancement. Such a perspective, however, is more myopic
than Mr. Magoo. Christianity is a free option from which one may withdraw. More to the point, Christian faith has
allowed the Holy Spirit to work within us.
The Spirit makes us more loving, holier, and in every true way more
desirable persons.
