SAVED BY GRACE

Meditation for Monday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time, Year C
(Eph 2:1-10; Lk 12:13-21)

It is popularly said that if you do not know where you are coming from, you may not know where you are going. We do not undertake the journey of life aimlessly; to know where you are going means you know where you are coming from. St. Paul applied this in our spiritual journey too. He had explained earlier that God chose us in Christ to be holy and spotless, and blessed us with the riches of His grace in the heavenly places. From where did we make this move into the life of Jesus to become the Body of Christ? St. Paul says we were walking on the pathway of death through our trespasses and sins, following the course of this world, and obeying the spirit of disobedience. “Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” This was where we came from.

 

But God, in His rich mercy, out of the great love He has for us, gave us new life in Christ, and raised us up with Him. Thus, God qualified us in Christ to share the riches in the heavenly places, and preserved for ages to come the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness in Christ Jesus. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest any man should boast.”

 

Now, we know where we are coming from, and where we are going. God took the initiative to give us a new life in Christ. That means the journey of life that began with death is raised to new life in Christ Jesus; the disgrace that came through disobedience and sin is now turned to holiness and the gracious riches of His glory. “By grace you have been saved.” It is important for us not to forget where we came from, so that we can appreciate the more where God is leading us, where He has destined us in Christ even before we came to believe. That means we should be rich in grace, “rich toward God.” That is why Jesus warned against the distraction of greed and the uncontrollable desire to acquire more. Though human possessions and enjoyment are important, human life has a higher value than these. So, we channel our lives to the journey forward, where God has destined us to be co-heirs with Christ for the heavenly inheritance. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Monday October 17th, 2022.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com