Scripture:
2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17
Mark 6:1-6
Reflection:
If I want to follow Jesus and "accept" Him as the Will of the Father guiding my life, then I am willing to be treated like Him. The willingness to act upon His inspiration in our lives with creativity, courage, and determination in the face of our ordinariness will put us "out there" for judgement. When His contemporaries observe that he is just an ordinary man, "the carpenter," with a large extended family,he does not deny this. He is being judged through the lens of the ordinary life. Mere humaness did not appear to be capable of great things, much less mighty deeds. His inspiration "happens" through our humaness. It is the "medium" through which salvation is offered to the world.
Salvation is defined as an active grace freely given, (due to nothing we have achieved nor earned), which lifts the burden and pain due to sin and injustice from all people. Our salvation is actually lived out insofar as we actuallize those fruits of the spirit, joy, love, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. It is through our very humaness that our salvation is lived out.
Fr. Alex Steinmiller, C.P. is president of Holy Family Cristo Rey High School, Birmingham, Alabama.