Today is Day 1 and Chapter 1 in Romans!
What a way to start Advent – a time to prepare for the Lord!
St. Paul when he speaks to the Romans is speaking to all of us!
I like to think we all as Catholics have a little Roma in our hearts! For Rome is Home!
And so what hit me today were three things as I read and prayed this letter…
First in his greeting when St. Paul writes
5″Through Him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of His name, among all the nations (words here differ depending on which bible you are reading- this is the New American), among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.”
What strikes me are the words “obedience of faith”!
Do we think often of being obedient to faith?
I know I talk alot about the GIFT of Faith! But somehow I miss that I am to be obedient to this gift — because faith is to be active and living!
Faith is a response to God — so how we LIVE our faith matters — not what we SAY about it!
When we are obedient life really changes — we are on the path to holiness.
Second, St. Paul speaks of longing to see the people… let’s put ourselves as the ones he is writing to… picture him saying these words to YOU!
and he longs to …
11″share with you some spiritual gift so that you may be strengthened… that is that you and I may be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith, yours and mine.”
OH MY GOOOOOODNESS!!!
This is so beautiful!
I never read this before like this… but this is what we are doing together for each other and we are to continually stay in community… at our parishes… with our families… and with our friends in Christ.
St. Paul through these writings by the Power of the Holy Spirit and in Jesus Christ will no doubt strengthen us and encourage us and we will do that for others as we share our faith and strengthen each other.
For that is what is needed… STRENGTH! We receive strength in the Sacraments and here in sharing and encouraging in faith!
It is not one sided… even St. Paul wrote here how it is mutual… he knew his faith was strengthened as well when he shared the Gospel with others… which is why we are all called to be evangelists.
Lastly, this is why St. Paul is not ashamed of the Gospel and starts right away here in Chapter 1 to exclaim and testify to the POWER of the Gospel…
17″For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous by faith will live”
OH WOW – St. Paul is taking us back to Abraham and how it was his act of faith that was credited to him as righteousness -
- total gift but required an act of the heart!
The Gospel – the WORD of God — is JESUS and it is faith in HIM that gives us LIFE — through faith!
St. Paul continues on to say that there are those who have surpressed the truth – basically buried it – even though, he says God has made it clear He exists through nature etc…
and so we read that
24″God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies…”
This last part is incredible to read and really sheds light as to where our world is right now…
I must admit it is hard to read and I’ll take tomorrow to meditate on it some more but it really answers why people seem cut off by grace…
Well it explains to me where I was… completely living for myself and cut off from any life in Christ!
This is why my brothers and sisters, it is so important that we become as lights in the darkness and live holy lives in mind,body and spirit.
God’s Mercy abounds in the light and life and power of the GOSPEL!
We must be His hands and feet!
What do you think and feel in your spirit when you pray and read this chapter today!
Spend these two days really letting this word speak to your heart!
Please share! God bless!
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