Saturday, February 18, 2023

THE WAY OF HOLINESS AND PERFECTION

 Meditation for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
(Lev 19:1-2, 17-18; 1 Cor 3:16-23; Mt 5:38-48)

The Lord said to the congregation of the sons of Israel, “You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.” The readings of today echo the call to holiness, at a time like this, when sin has eaten deep into every fabric of our society. The voice of Jesus resounds anew, “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The call to holiness and perfection may not be popular among believers today, but the freshness and strength of the message cannot be denied.

 

The call to holiness and perfection takes Christian morality to a realm that can only be sustained by faith in Jesus Christ. As we embark on this journey to holiness, we begin to realize our mandate as ‘Image of God’ and live out the grace we have as those redeemed by Jesus Christ. Since God has shared life with us in Christ Jesus, and bestowed upon us the riches of his glory, the way to holiness and perfection is now accessible and available. In the Old Testament, holiness was measured by keeping the commandments. But in the New Testament, holiness is measured by following Jesus and living out His righteousness.

 

Often times, we tend to shy away when we hear Jesus say, “If any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also…” It appears humanly impossible to do so. But God had already prepared us in Christ Jesus to follow Him on that path. In the second reading, St. Paul asks, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? Our steps to holiness and perfection must begin with this conscious realization that the Holy Spirit has made His home in our hearts, and we recognize Him as the hidden wisdom that directs our thoughts and actions. That means we are expected to give out a spiritual response, even to what is done to us physically.

 

As temples of God, acting from the hidden wisdom of the Holy Spirit, the responses we give will shock the world, “For the wisdom of this world is folly with God.” The spiritual response we give becomes for us an expression of the life of Christ. For we live no longer for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose from the death (2 Cor 5:15). The cross of Christ is the ultimate temple of God, where the perfect sacrifice was offered. Hence, we bear this identity of Jesus, and carry around in our bodies the temple of the cross so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our bodies (2 Cor 4:10).

 

Meditate on how the Holy Spirit overshadows the heart that welcomes Him, leaving no room for violence, revenge, and enmity. He leads us on the pathway of peace, love and reconciliation. This is how we can ‘turn the other cheek’, ‘go two miles with the oppressor’, ‘love and pray for our enemies.’ This is not to demonstrate our resilient capability. But it is the spiritual response we give, “So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” This is how we manifest the life of Christ, and walk on pathway of holiness and perfection. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday February 19th, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

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