Welcome to my first blog! I'm new at this so I ask for your patience :) I was a writer in college, so let's see if I can't bring back some of the old magic :)
But enough of that, lets get to today's topic. I want to talk about one of this Sunday's readings. We have two choices for the 2nd reading, and I've chosen the 2nd option to write about. We'll see what we hear at Mass!
Here's the reading (titled above):
"Brothers and sisters, live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immortality, impurity, lust, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit."
I also want to quote one line from the first option for the 2nd reading: 1Corinthians 12:3b-7,12-13: "To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit."
St. Paul immediately offers us a challenge and a statement of hope: live by the Spirit! What does this mean? Well, he's good enough to explain to us what it doesn't mean first.
I'm not sure about you, but as I read through that list of the works of the flesh I found myself squirming a little. Sure some of them were a bit extreme (I can't remember any time I have actively pursued sorcery- but I did play with a wigee (sp) board once when I was a kid...), but impurity, lust, idolatry, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, fury, selfishness, dissensions, factions, envy... okay, okay, we already heard all these once before! How often do I struggle with each of these and so many more each week!?
Do you see it in your own life? Take a closer look: Do you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend? What's your relationship like with them? Who comes first? God or the girl(boy)? Rivalry? I remember when I was in high school I was "friends" with a kid named Joe. We were about the same hight, played the same sports but he was blond and I was brunette (obviously). I was the athletic one (if you can believe that), captain of the track teams and the cross country team. He however was the "casanova". Any time I showed interest in a girl Joe was quick to start talking with her. When we graduated he signed my year book "Its been a great 4 years Soup (my nickname in HS), I never had a better rival than you!" Was that really a compliment? How much stress and strife we put on each other by always trying to out do the other.
And what fuels rivalry? Many things, but one is most definately envy. We both had things that the other wanted. Why couldn't we be happy with the gifts that God gave us? Why did we have to knock the other down so as to make the other's gift look less significant?
Many of these things St. Paul writes about are petty when we look back on them. How many times do we band our friends against another simply because we haven't gotten our way. Or our feelings have been hurt? Rather than seek that person out and ask for forgiveness, or search for middle ground, we gossip and form factions against them. You've heard it before, one sin leads to another, and it can be a vicious cycle.
I've already shown how even the most extreme sins (idolatry) can take on the most simple forms to trick us (improper relationships with gf/bf). So I challenge you to take a look at your own life? What road are you headed down? If you look far enough ahead, are you being lead to outbursts of fury, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like?
How does one fight this war in our flesh? Well, St. Paul gives us a road map for that as well. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are beautiful and powerful things!!!
Yeah, we've heard of love before... but really think about it. What is love? God is Love! Who is God? God the Father... what did He do? He loved us so much He sacrificed His only Begotten Son!!! What did that Son (God) do? He loved us so much He suffered and died on a cross for us... not before He modeled a way of life for us during His 33 years here on this earth. And finally, the whole purpose of this weekend, God the Holy Spirit. Who is the HS? He is that most powerful Love that is between the Father and the Son. A love so real it can't help but be a third Person in the Trinity.
St. Paul has laid down a road map for each of us to follow. But these 9 words in the letter to the Galatians won't mean anything to you unless you keep reading. Not just the Galatians, but the entire Bible. Start with the Gospels, read how our Church began in Acts, and see the encouragement and challenges St. Paul gives in his letters. This road map is given details in context. Only by spending quality time with the One you love, will you ever be able to live out the life you are called to live.
I can promise you that this won't be easy. Jesus never said it would be. If you read about His life you will see first hand that even our Lord had to suffer (and I don't just mean on the cross). But together, and with God Himself at our side, we can overcome our struggles and find joy in our pain!
I want to end with this thought. Let's go back to the beginning when I quoted the line from Corinthians. The Spirit is given to each of us for a specific purpose. Now that purpose may change over your lifetime... in fact I'll promise it will change (as long as you are open to growth).
What is that purpose for you right now? What challenges are you facing in your life? Immoralitu? Impurity? Lust? Idolatry? Sorcery? Hatred? Rivalry? Jealousy? Outbursts of fury? Selfishness? Dissensions, Factions? Occasions of envy? Drinking? Orgies? Or maybe a list of things not mentioned here!
We all struggle with things. That is life. But we must know that we are not alone. We have community and we have God Himself! He has poured out His Spirit for us. Let's not be ungrateful.
Okay, so I got a little eager in this first post. I promise each post will vary on topics and on length. Know that I am praying for each and everyone of you. We're on a journy. Let's travel together on that straight and narrow path.
God bless!
Jim
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