Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s reading St. Paul says that he is a “slave of Christ”. One of the definitions for the word “slave” is “a person that is completely subservient to a dominating influence.” St. Paul realizes that being completely devoted to Christ and His influence may make him a “slave”, but it allows him the freedom to share the Good News of God. When we allow Christ to completely influence our thoughts, words and deeds, we can live our lives like the Good Samaritan, where we have the freedom to act in mercy towards others- even strangers or enemies.
In the first reading, St. Paul is scolding the Galatians because they are straying from the gospel that he had shared with them. St. Paul states that what he has preached was not from him or any other person, but was a “revelation of Jesus Christ”. Instead of allowing the Gospel of Christ to be their foundation, the Galatians were accepting other human opinions to infiltrate their beliefs. St. Paul recognizes the human tendency to try to please others. He calls the Galatians to step forward in faith and live the Gospel of Christ, not allowing external sources to distort the teachings. This requires courage since living that Gospel may in fact conflict with other people and their opinions. Since the Gospel of Christ comes from God, it is above all human laws and cultural norms. Being a “slave” of Christ and His gospel may result in persecution, but it provides the freedom to live a God- filled life sharing His love, mercy and peace with others.
In the gospel reading, the scholar challenges Jesus about how to live in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan where both the priest and the Levite ignore the injured man. It was the Samaritan (someone hated by the Jews) that responds with kindness and mercy towards the man in need. Only the Samaritan was able to live by God’s laws and not allow the rituals and opinions of others to control his actions. His generous and kind treatment towards the victim flowed from a respect for other- even for someone that was seen as a possible threat or enemy. At the end of the passage, Jesus sends the scholar and all those listening to “go and do likewise.” The Gospel that Jesus shares is one that looks beyond the “what might people think?” and “this might cause me a lot of trouble.” Jesus reminds us not only must we love God, but we must love our neighbor as an essential part of living His gospel. It is when we allow this love of God and neighbor to make us a “slave of Christ” that we will “live” and “inherit eternal life.”
What does it mean for me to be a “slave of Christ?” I cannot love nor have mercy unless I first experience the love and mercy of God. Being open to God’s presence through prayer is the beginning. Until we experience being the “beloved” of God, it is difficult to share His love with those around us. When we are aware of Christ and His presence within us, then we can allow Him to deeply influence or “enslave” us in our thoughts, words and actions. What does this look like in our daily lives? When we are a “slave” of Christ, we will not speak with malice towards others (even those who have a different opinion about political issues or candidates.) If Christ is at our core, we will see others as the “face of God” – even those from different countries or different races and religions. We will reach out to others with mercy and love and make every attempt to be peace makers, not people that create more conflict and hatred. These are not easy tasks, and others may taunt and condemn us because of our words and deeds. As a “slave of Christ” we may experience hardship, but we live in the freedom knowing that who we are comes from a God who calls us “beloved” and wants us to share this same love with others. By not seeking to please others but to please God, we can begin to experience heaven here on earth.
"Heavenly Father, You love us so much, and You give us Jesus to show us how to live. With the grace of Your Spirit help us to become “slaves of Christ” where all that we think, say and do are reflections of your love, grace and mercy. May we live our lives pleasing You and giving You glory, we pray this through Christ our LORD. Amen."
Marylynn Herchline