Bible
Study: Romans 3, 21 to 30. And Luke 11, 47 to 54.
Yesterday,
St. Paul strongly warns us against the act of judging other people. Now, the
reason why we often take pleasure in judging and condemning others is because
we feel we are better than them because of our good deeds. We love to boast of
our goodness and we assume that people are not as good as we are because they
simply are not ready to make efforts or that something is wrong with them.
Today, St. Paul goes further to debunk the idea of ever giving credit to
ourselves for our good works. He says, it is not even our works that justify us
or merit us to enter heaven so we have no reason at all to boast.
In Paul’s
words: “Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are
justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ
Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by
faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance
he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he
himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.” Romans
3, 23 to 26. No one ever merits heaven
as a result of his personal efforts, otherwise that would mean that Christ’s
death on the cross is of no benefit to the person.
As such,
no one can beat his chest about what he or she is able to do. “Then what
becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On the principle of
works? No, but on the principle of faith.
For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.” Romans
3, 27 to 28.
This
should make us very humble knowing that it is by the grace of God working
through us that we are able to live righteously. We should therefore never look
down on anybody or present a holier-than-thou attitude like that of the
Pharisees of which Jesus Christ was strongly against in the Gospel passage.
However
does this mean we are simply to believe and not to perform any good works at
all? Not at all. St. James would later on say to us: “Faith by itself, if it
has no works, is dead… Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my
works will show you my faith.” James 2, 17 to 18. So we are to do good work as
much as we can, what St. Paul is saying is that we are not to attach so much
importance to what we do as if God is now owing us or as if it is by our own
efforts that we shall get to heaven.
Today also
we remember a great woman who laboured so hard for God in bringing about the
reformation of an order of nuns that had become so relaxed in discipline, rules
and morality as a result of certain trends of modernity. A truly pious woman
whose writings have marked her out as one the doctors of the church. St. Teresa
of Avila was a woman "for God," a woman of prayer, discipline and
compassion. Her heart belonged to God. Her ongoing conversion was an arduous
lifelong struggle, involving ongoing purification and suffering. She was
misunderstood, misjudged, opposed in her efforts at reform. Yet she struggled
on, courageous and faithful. And in the midst of all this she clung to God in
life and in prayer. Her writings, especially the “Way of Perfection” and “The
Interior Castle”, have helped generations of believers.
Let us
Pray:
Lord
Jesus, fill me daily with an unending flow of your grace that I may live well
and inspire others to do the same. May I never become proud of myself as to
judge or condemn others. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.
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