“Life to me, of course, is Christ.” Saint Paul could have made these words the motto of his life. Ever since Christ blinded him and he fell from his horse on the road to Damascus, he lived and breathed Christ. He longed to leave this world and be with Christ. But he knew Christ still had work for him.
To live the life of a Christian is to be in daily warfare with Satan. This is the message from Saint Paul in the First Reading today. And he should know! He fought many battles. So Paul advises us if you want to beat Satan wear God’s armour.
“Children, be obedient to your parents in the Lord.” This is the command from Saint Paul in the First Reading today. I can only speak from experience but God gave me parents I loved and it was a delight, usually, to do what they asked of me - I knew that they loved me and I always wanted to please them.
The missionary churches that Saint Paul established and supported consisted of converts from paganism. He wanted them to make a real impact on their environment with lives that showed a real difference from the surrounding culture. So Paul encouraged them to live upright and blameless moral lives.
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in today's Gospel was addressed to those people who were self-confidently sure, considered themselves superior and despised others. It had a powerful emotional impact.
His purpose was not to offend the Pharisees but He wanted them to change their proud ways and to take an honest look at themselves. You can be sure they were offended for no-one, then or now, likes being told they are in the wrong.
Submitted by Father Francis on Saturday, 31 October 2015
Rom. 11:12, 11-12, 25-29 & Lk. 14:1, 7-11
Can you imagine a time when the Jewish people will be converted to Christianity, accepting Jesus as the Messiah? It might be hard to believe but this is what Saint Paul is telling us in today's first reading.
God chose the Jews as the race from whom His Son would be born. He prepared the people for the coming of Jesus as their Saviour, and throughout Jewish history there were prophets who foretold that event. Having made such a promise, how could God fail to keep it?
Submitted by Father Francis on Friday, 30 October 2015
Rom. 5:1-5 & Lk. 14:1-6
The fact that many of his fellow Jews were rejecting Jesus caused Saint Paul to lament. He goes so far as to say that he would be willing to sacrifice his own salvation in order that his people would be saved. Such a statement expresses the great sadness he feels that his people have not accepted Jesus as their Saviour.
Another great servant of God, Moses, voiced a similar sentiment. After the Israelites had angered God with their gold calf he said, “Forgive their sin – but if not, blot me out of the book that you have written.” (Ex. 32:32).
Submitted by Father Francis on Thursday, 29 October 2015
Rom. 8:31-39 & Lk. 13:31-35
Scripture scholars maintain that the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans was his masterpiece, capturing much of his theology in the most refined manner. In today’s reading Paul concludes that we who live in the Spirit cannot fail because we have so much going for us. "Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ."
