11 September 2015
Friday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Paul, sitting in his prison cell, expresses two reflections in today’s reading. First, he is grateful to the Lord for choosing him to be an apostle, a collaborator with Christ in his redemptive work. Second, seeing himself as he truly is – one who persecuted the Church of Christ – he is dumbfounded that God chose him for such a mission.
Then, there is today’s Gospel. Here Jesus also offers me two considerations for my reflection. First, if I want to make progress in the spiritual life, I must interact with others in a fraternal way. Second, like Paul, I have to see myself as I am – the unworthy object of God’s unfathomable love – and see others in the same clear light.
Christ is the light that dispels darkness. He alone can make clear my way. To prevent twisting religion to my own advantage and risk kidding myself (something that is easy to do), I must have frequent recourse to The Light. Like Paul, I will see myself as well as others as we truly are. Today I shall spend some time asking the Lord to free my route from shadows and to be my guide along the way to Eternal Life with him and with those who stumble along with me.