Feast of St. John Paul II, Pope
Eph.4:7-16 | Ps.122-1-5 | Lk. 13:1-9
Jesus is speaking with passion in this Gospel passage today. Have you ever had a project, an idea, a vision, that you were so convinced about that you wanted everyone to see it just as much as you did? Do you remember how you felt when others accepted that idea as much as you? Do you remember how you felt when others did not accept it? What kind of division took place when this happened? This is the place from which Jesus speaks today. Jesus knows the Father, is in love with Abba, and has only one desire, which is to be God’s own. Jesus came to bring all of us to that same conviction and desire to be united to God. When we don’t accept the Word of God with conviction, then division is bound to occur between ourselves, others, and God. Paul has that conviction and gives testimony to it in his hymn of Praise to God. He gives thanks to God for all God has done for us through Jesus. He prays that we, too, will come to know the breadth, the length, the height, and depth of the richness of Christ. How vastly different our world would be if you and I lived this calling to the full!
What is the depth of your conviction of belonging to God? What is your conviction about living God’s call to the full? Are you willing to be clothed with the love of Christ? Ask God for the grace of this conviction.