Twenty-Eighth Monday of Ordinary Time

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God, which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, the Gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.

We are all called to be slaves of Christ. It is only by turning our lives over completely to God the Father through Jesus and the Holy Spirit that we can experience true freedom. Giving our total obedience to the Holy Trinity and trusting in God’s Divine Providence is something we all must do if we want to live out the Gospel message and give witness to the Christ-like life. Just as Jesus was obedient to the point of death on a cross, so too must we be obedient even to the point of being persecuted for our faith. We might not die as the Son of God did, but we might experience many smaller deaths... to selfishness, to opportunities for worldly advancement, to our relationships with those who might lead us away from God, to earthly riches and success. However, these deaths when united with Christ’s Passion and Death can bring about great good in our lives and lead us to eternal life with our loving God.

Are we willing to become slaves of Christ? How can we live our lives in total obedience and trust in God? Are we willing to die in great and small ways in order to live forever with the Holy Trinity in Heaven?

O Lord, we place our obedience and trust in you, our Divine Master.

Amen.