Fr. John Denburger, OCSO
29th Wednesday in Ordinary Time
Romans 6: 12 – 18; Ps 124; Luke 12: 39 – 48
Paul writes to the Romans, to all, to us and he makes quite a statement, a declaration about our lives because with him, with all the baptized we are one in Christ. Because we belong to Christ, Paul writes: “…thanks be to God, that although you were once slaves to sin, you have become obedient from the heart.”
“You have become obedient from the heart!” – this speaks of a life of profound conversion – not obeying out of fear, out of dread of punishment – rather obedience from the heart motivated by thanksgiving, by love because, like Paul, we have been, are, will be graced to know, love and serve our God. This is our baptismal life of being raised to Eternal Life which has already begun for us, each one of us.
At the end of today’s Gospel Jesus speaks to us directly:
“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
The “much”, the “more” demanded are well above duty, well above any type of servility. The “much and the more” are the way of surpassing holiness that Jesus desires for us. What does this mean in the reality of our daily lives? It means that each day we try to live with obedient, loving, grateful hearts. It means living with the growing awareness of the Holy Trinity’s loving presence. The presence that surrounds us, embraces us, empowers us to live obediently from the heart.
The “much and the more” that is being entrusted to us to God Himself, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Why does God entrust His very Mystery to us – to each one of us? There is really only one answer – because God is love. God cannot not love and you and I and all are His own. So much so that we can pray with the psalmist: “Yet, I was always in Your presence; You were holding me by my right hand. What else have I in heaven but You? Apart from You I want nothing on earth.” (Ps 73)
Rejoicing in this truth, believing it with all our hearts, how can we not be obedient to our God from our hearts?
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