Clear Choice

October 15: Wednesday of Week 28 of Ordinary Time, Year A-II

Feast of Saint Teresa of Ávila:

Galatians 5:18-25; Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6; Luke 11:42-46

What is Jesus saying to us as stewards of his kingship? 

(To support Reaching Jesus... Step Five).

Clear Choice

“If we live in the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit” (Luke 11:46).

We have to choose our guidance system: the law or the Spirit. Paul says, “If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” But adds: “Those who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.” The Spirit asks more than the law, not less. But treats us as partners of Jesus, not slaves.

When we were children, the law was our “pedagogue” (child-guider). But we needed to grow up. To only keep rules, stunts growth. Worse: it can set us up to hate the spirit of Jesus and close our minds to his Spirit. The Pharisees went from saying, “A good Jew keeps the Law” to saying, “Keeping the Law makes one a good Jew.” They killed Jesus for requiring more.

“Blessed the one who… delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law,” seeking to understand the mind of God. Meditation makes religion relationship, not just law-observance. We can only live in “grace” (divine life) by interacting personally with God in relationship, because God’s life is relationship, interaction between the Father, Son and Spirit.

Living by Law leaves God out of the picture. Though the laws come from him, we don’t have to go to him to keep them. That is idolatry.

PRAY: “Send forth your Spirit, Lord, and our hearts will be regenerated.”

PRACTICE: Find and obey God’s heart in every law.