Grace is when God gives you what is good at a time when you do not qualify for it. It is purely a gift with no strings attached.
The Jerusalem Council, as recounted in our First Reading, was a gathering of the leadership of the Church to deliberate on whether non-Jews who had accepted the Gospel had to be circumcised in the tradition of Moses before they can be saved or they did not need to be circumcised. It must have been a lively debate with submissions of various opinions. In fact the First Reading tells us the debate went on for a long time. Then Peter, who had seen with his own eyes how a non-Jew by name Cornelius had received the Holy Spirit without any prior circumcision (Acts 10), got up and addressed the Council fathers. In his submission, he hit the nail right on the head when he said, “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are." (Act 15:11). In sum, the Christian message is a Gospel of grace.
Grace is offered freely by God because no one can buy it with his/her own “righteousness”. It takes faith to access it. And once we have received this grace, it must show forth in how we live our lives. In other words, grace is given to enable us obey the commandments of God. Jesus makes this clear in the Gospel reading of today, “If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love." (Jn 15:10).
The grace of God is available for all. As we receive this grace through faith in Jesus Christ, may we be enabled to live holy lives, obeying the commandments of God.
PRAYER: Eternal Father, strengthen us with your grace freely offered in the person of your Son Jesus, that our lives may blossom in thy sight. For the sake of Christ, we pray. Amen
I have been thinking a great deal about my experience at Reconciliation this past Saturday. I felt an intense and unexplainable urge to go and confess my sins when I woke up that morning. I try to go every six weeks or so, but this was no routine visit to the priest for me. I needed to unburden myself of the numerous venial sins I had committed since I last participated in this Sacrament.
Purest Gold: God's Refining Fire in our Lives »
After salvation, many young Christians wonder if there's anything more to their newfound faith than just the security blanket of "being a Christian." Time and time again, God shows himself as a "refiner," and our lives are as gold. God started leading me in this study to understand what He was doing in my life, as well as in the lives of others.
Picking up my pen to write this column, I couldn’t imagine how time flies. Since the last publication of this column I have gone through a lot, especially the loss of my dear mother to whom I dedicate this article. Not only her, but seems I lost a whole generation of my close family.
How to Achieve Business Excellence »
“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before Kings; He will not stand before unknown men.” Proverbs 22:29
Spiritual Development for our Youth »
Most of us youth in today's fast moving world are easily thrown off by difficulties and worries.
The theme of conversion is a thread that runs all through Lent, but conversion takes on different aspects throughout the phases of Lent. The first two and a half weeks focused on the interior turning of hearts; the liturgy urges the faithful to reflect and examine consciences thoroughly.
Saint Josephine Bakhita »
Feast Day: February 8
Patron Saint Of: Sudan
Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering.
Catholics Must Fast More Intensely This Lent»
The Norbertine Canons of St. Michael's Abbey have created this digital Lenten retreat so that you can journey through this holy season alongside them. If you want to have one of your best Lenten seasons yet, join us in our Lenten Program "The Great Fast" - https://theabbotscircle.com/the-great-fast-join
When Your Faith Is Put to the Test - Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon»
Friends, we come now to the Second Sunday of Lent, and we’re on both dangerous and very holy ground with the first reading from the twenty-second chapter of Genesis. The ancient Israelites referred to it as the “Akedah,” which means the “binding”: Abraham binds and is ready to sacrifice Isaac at God’s command.
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