Monday October 23, 2023

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“We are a holy people working diligently to become more and more like Jesus each day.”

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Good News Reflection for:

Monday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint John of Capistrano, priest
October 23, 2023

Today’s Prayer:

My Lord: Give me a clear conscience for being a steward of the properties You have entrusted to me. May this task be done with full generosity and a spirit of service, in Your divine Name. Amen.

Subscribe to Today’s Saint Quote & Prayer:
gnm.org/SaintQuotes/

Today’s Readings:

Romans 4:20-25
Luke 1:69-75 (with 68)
Luke 12:13-21
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102323.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-october-23-2023

Faith and righteousness

In a later chapter of Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, he says that all things (even the bad, even the frightening, even what seems destructive) can work together for the good of those who love the Lord (v. 8:28). How is that possible? How does it happen? The answer is found in our first reading today.

Like Abraham’s faith, our faith in God is credited to us as righteousness. Unlike Abraham, who was a model of outstanding faith, you and I are not fully convinced that God will do everything that he has promised. Otherwise, we’d never despair or fear or lose hope. But the good news is this: Jesus was handed over to death for our sins and raised up by the Father for our justification. In other words, Jesus paid the price of our sins. Justice has been served, and if we have faith in the gift of his sacrifice, we are empowered to live righteously — we are a holy people working diligently to become more and more like Jesus each day.

Our righteousness can only be truly understood in the context of God’s salvation plan.

By having faith in Christ’s ability and his desire to take upon himself the destruction that we’ve caused with our sins, and by having faith in the power of God the Father to raise Jesus from the dead for our redemption, we receive the redemption of our souls (giving us eternal life in heaven) and in our everyday circumstances (turning temptations into victories and bad situations into blessings).

By the mercy of God, what was bad is redeemed. Our sins, when we regret them, lead us to Christ’s redemption. Our need for forgiveness becomes our path of holiness.

The same holds true in everything else that’s bad. By letting Christ be the Redeemer of everything that’s not heavenly in our lives, tragedies become opportunities for great triumphs as they strengthen us in compassion and endurance and other fruits of holy living.

Diseases and hardships become purificators that cleanse us of selfishness, increase our compassion, and teach us to offer our sufferings to Christ for the sake of the redemption of others.

Difficult relationships become lessons in learning how to love everyone unconditionally.

Hardships become ministries that reach out to others, enabling us to make a difference in ways that would otherwise be impossible.

Because we place our faith in Jesus as Redeemer, we are righteous. The more we rely on this truth, the more we’re empowered by faith to live righteously.

Reflect further on this with our WordByte called: “What is God Saying in Evil Times?” @ https://wordbytes.org/victory/what-is-god-saying-in-evil-times/

© 2023 by Terry A. Modica

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