Gal 5: 13-26; 1 Cor 4:3-6; Rom 8:22-24; 2 Cor 2:15; Rom 5:9-10; Phil 2:12
We are challenged to BE MORE in our lives. Our freedom does not give us the liberty to act as we please. This is something very important. Though Christ has redeemed us, this redemption is in constant fluctuation. Christ’s Passion & resurrection has redeemed us by simply giving us the opportunity for heaven, when we didn’t have that before. He has opened the door. Now that the door is open, we spend our lives walking toward it or away from it. We walk toward it by bearing good fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We must “work on our salvation with fear and trembling”. How do we do this? Through the sacraments!! If all it took to be saved were to proclaim to the mountains of our faith in Jesus, then we wouldn’t need the sacraments. It’s more than just proclaiming for proclaiming our creed isn’t an act of love, or joy, or peace, or patience…. The sacraments, and in particular, receiving the Eucharist and going to Confession, heal our souls from the muck that we’ve put ourselves in. Our souls need nourishment just like a tree. (Maybe this is another reason why the fruit of the Spirit is described in a tree metaphor?) Trees need water, sunlight, and a place to take root in order to grow. We call that Eucharist, Confession, and attending Mass.
Eucharist = water: it cleanses & heals. Sisters, it heals the wounds we don’t even recognize we have. Go receive!!
Confession = sunlight: It can be scary bearing our souls out. But that is exactly what confession is! We put out all our dark parts into the light. In light, we can see all things properly without distortion.
Mass = roots: Aside from the thought that we’ve had Mass for near 2000 years, it is in the Mass that we learn about where we came from and where we are going. We learn about God’s big love story He has been trying to share with us through His Word. We read and sing about it. We become a community and create families in Christ. We come together as a family and hear about tales of old, lessons to be learned, and how to care and love for one another.
It’s through the water, sunlight, and our roots, that we’ll become a growing tree. We will be able to bear fruit because we have everything we need to be nourished.
