Rom 6: 12-18; Lk 12:39-48
The first reading reminds me of the mind and heart of a small child. They know so well that their parents are an authority to be obedient and listen to. They also know so well that if some other adult tries to give commands they are quick to point out, “you are not the boss of me”. The idea that ultimately we will choose to be “obedient slaves” to either sin or righteousness, slaves none the less but there is a difference. The person who is a slave to sin becomes powerless in their free will and without free will become puppets to the passions of sin. There is a personality change and they will often say, “It wasn’t I anymore.” Thoughts, emotions, interests and behaviors become slaves to the sin and the person becomes dead to themselves. In contrast the person who is a slave to righteousness discovers their true identity through obedience but they must be the drivers of their free will. In sin you figuratively speaking “turn over the wheel” to be driven to death. In righteousness you discover greater responsibility and need to be vigilant. It also build’s our spiritual muscle because we invest all of ourselves, our senses both corporal and spiritual as we overcome life’s challenges and dangers. We gain the power of virtues through grace and experience the freedom of our true nature, our calling, our life in Christ.
The gospel lets us know that as slaves of righteousness our concern is not the hour or day when the Master will come. We are already doing the work of heaven. We welcome his coming because greater will be our freedom. Padre Pio and many other saints recognized their limitations as servants of God on earth and looked forward to the day of departure from this world because they would be able to do more from heaven. Death was a homecoming celebration. In contrast the person who is slave to sin is being warned that even a greater punishment is ahead after death of the flesh. Here the gospel draws a distinction between the sinner who know his Master’s will and the sinner who was “ignorant of his Master’s will, but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating”. Who are those in each of these groups? I am reminded of St. Paul. As Saul, he earned in ignorance a “severe beating” in persecuting the early Christians. In his conversion Paul still suffered a “beating” as the one persecuted and more was expected of him. In obedience to righteousness more was also given to him. Paul is recognized for the spread of the early church more than any of the other Apostles and he shares his hardships in his writings. The question to ask ourselves is “where am I in the Saul to Paul conversion?” What are my blind spots to the will of God in my life? Am I living under assumptions that as a good person I am obedience enough or is God asking more of me and I am resisting him. It can be said that in the life of the saints many resisted God’s call. They had to overcome their doubts, put aside their own thinking, listen to the will of God and even then tried God’s patience when there were clear signs and visions of God’s will. Truly if they found it difficult to say “yes” we too have much to overcome to know, love, and serve God. Our comfort is in the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to enlighten our spirit, to open the path to God’s mercy and to strengthen us in our resolve to make this day, God’s day in our life. For yesterday we pray for mercy, for today we pray for the strength to say “yes Lord”, and for tomorrow we seek the knowledge, and confirmation of being a servant of God. This we recognize in the fruits of God’s love and blessings we receive. In this we recognize our inheritance, a kingdom made for heaven ready to receive him at the moment of his coming. “Who is the boss of you?”