Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
(Romans 6:12-18; Luke12:39-48)
In today’s first reading St. Paul addresses a question that most
of his readers ask. If followers of
Christ are freed from the Law of Moses, may they do as they wish without consequences? What the human being’s conniving heart means by
this question are the pleasures of lust, gluttony, and avarice. Without taking back his statement about
Christ’s freeing the person from adherence to Torah, Paul defends the
need to refrain from sin and to live virtuously.
Paul understands the human need for support. Freed from the Jewish Law, the human being will
look for another way of anchoring one’s life.
Most people choose some form of sin like overindulgence in pride,
pleasure, or power. But some will choose
a life of moderation, service, and humility.
Choosing sin, Paul says, can only lead one away from Christ to
death. Choosing virtue will bring one to
Christ, who is eternal life.
We should not seek an easy life. Jesus never offered it to his followers. We can look to him for support in life’s challenges. He is a model to imitate, a brace to support
us, and a goal to be aspired.
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