Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Romans is being highlighted this week in the first readings for daily Mass. St. Paul spends a fair amount of time discussing righteousness and faith. My understanding of what “righteousness” means for us is being in “right- relationship” with God, and therefore being in “right- relationship” with others. How are we called to be in relationship with God who is transcendent, omnipotent, and beyond our understanding? And how does this relationship with God lead to us to healthy and holy kinship with others and creation?
In the first reading, St. Paul shares that God’s righteousness is made evident through God’s mercy that has been poured out on all of creation since the beginning of time. This love and forgiveness is expressed in its fullness in Jesus who brings God’s compassion and love to us through his life, death and resurrection. We are all in need of God’s forgiveness, but how can we respond to this Divine outpouring of grace? In our human interactions, there is usually a mutual give and take between individuals, but when God is part of the relationship, there is a great imbalance. We can never return an “equal” amount of love or commitment to the Infinite God. It is here where St. Paul seems to illustrate that our best response to God’s righteousness is our faith. When we believe in God, and in Jesus (God in human form), we humble ourselves to accept God’s mercy, love, protection, and grace. We proclaim that God is the source of all good, and we recognize our faith in God is the best way for us to show our dependence and trust. St. Paul writes that God offers this “righteousness” to all- Jews and Gentiles alike.
This faith in God helps us to build a “right relationship” with the Divine, but it also leads us towards living just and loving lives with others. Our relationship with God invites us not just to receive God’s mercy and love, but to share these gifts with those around us. We look to Jesus and His life to understand what it means to be in “right relationship.” Jesus demonstrates that being perfectly human centers around loving, serving, and having compassion for others, but particularly for those in greatest need. Jesus illustrates how His relationship with the Father allows Him to be a conduit of God’s grace that flows freely to those who need God’s mercy and have faith. Jesus is frequently found lifting up the poor, caring for those who are ostracized (the lepers, the foreigners, and the sinners of society) and calling others to follow. Our “right relationship” with others and creation emanates from our imitation of Christ as His Disciples.
Creator God, you pour out your love and mercy on us and invite us into relationship with you. May our faith in You, and Your Son, Jesus, open us to Your grace. May Your Spirit flow through us and be a source of mercy and compassion for others and the world. We offer this prayer in Christ’s name. AMEN.
—Marylynn Herchline