In today’s responsorial psalm, Ps. 37, we pray that “the salvation of the just comes from the
Lord.” St. Paul, in today’s first reading, Titus 2: 1-8, 11-14, tells us
why this is so. He says: “For the grace of God has appeared, saving
all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live
temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope,
the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for
himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.”
You and I have had nothing to do with this. Salvation is a
gift freely given. It is ours to reject
or accept. God eagerly awaits the moment when He will open the gates of heaven
to all who accepted deliverance “from all
lawlessness.” God eagerly awaits the
moment when He will swing open the doors of heaven to rescue us from Satan’s
determination to devour us in disobedience. For those of us who humbly repent and
recognize our total dependency upon grace, our “cleansing” is secured by the One who became sin for us. O, how
great and loving and caring and merciful is our God!
Everything about our being “eager to do what is good” is a gift
from God, for “the grace of God has
appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires
and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the
blessed hope” of our eternal
salvation .
I accept this gift from God and want to live it humbly,
knowing that, apart from God, I can do nothing that is good. And when I
experience my sinfulness, I pray for the gift of repentance.
What about you?
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