10 October 2022
Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
One of the more “heated” letters that came from Paul was his letter to the Galatians. It seems that a group Christians were holding the position that one had to conform to Jewish law prior to becoming a Christian. Paul certainly was not one for abandoning all law, but he did see the message of Christ as transcending certain aspects of previous practice. He admonishes his readers: “For freedom Christ set us free, so do not submit to the yoke of slavery.” For Paul, the message of Christ was a message of freedom since it invited each human person to his or her fullest potential as living in the light of Christ in this life and for all eternity. Partial goals just did not work for Paul. He railed against any understanding of a law that took people from their true goal in life which he saw as union with the Mystical Body of Christ. The message for us is clear: Are we following a different law or practice that does not make us free to be who we were meant to be?