THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE DEMANDS COMMITMENT
Some people speak of their
aimlessness, their lack of purpose, of direction, and of certainty; their sense
of drifting from nowhere to nowhere, there is an emptiness, a void... The true
meaning of life is found in listening and living the Law of our God.
In today Responsorial Psalm
we acclaim, "Blessed are they who hope in the Lord" (Ps 40:5). When
we know God in our lives, then there is a purpose behind a difficult world. We
trust in a loving hand to guide us and there is a constant Presence within us
day and night. Some people speak of their aimlessness, their lack of purpose,
of direction, and of certainty; their sense of drifting from nowhere to
nowhere, there is an emptiness, a void. With all that, they are unable to steer
their own course and define their own lives.
St. Paul tells us today that
"the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord" (Rom 6:23). That great gift of eternal life demands,
however, commitment and perseverance on our part. It will not come without
struggles and challenges that will certainly test every fiber of our being.
Committing our lives to follow Jesus will cause us to realign all of our
relationships and dealings with our own individual life.
To embrace His teaching we
can find ourselves divided from those we love the most. Following Jesus Christ
is not like joining a social club or a cakewalk. It requires taking a moral
stance even when people we are close to might not agree. The true meaning of
life is found in listening and living the Law of our God. It's God's will that
we know His love and Presence within our lives.
It demands commitment!