12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sometimes I wonder what the people who put together our lectionary were thinking when they made their selections. This thought came to me while I was reflecting on today’s second reading from Romans 5:12-15. That is because they left out what I consider to be the punchline in verse 18. The gift St Paul tells us about in this reading is Jesus sacrificing his human life to ensure our eternal life. Basically, what this reading says is that Adam’s sin brought mankind death. However, Jesus’s sacrificial death in obedience to his Father’s will secured for us the gift of life. St Paul explains the gift beautifully in 1 Cor. 15:21-22: “For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life….”

Our life in the Kingdom is not always easy. Both Jerimiah and Jesus testify to the hardships people of faith can endure. What gets us through the trials and tribulations of life is trust in God the Father who, as Jerimiah tells us in the first reading, is with us, “like a mighty champion.” It requires trust in God’s infinite and overwhelming love, a love so fervent that God the Father knows how many hairs each of us has on our head. In the First Letter of John 4:18-19 we read that “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. We love because [God] first loved us.”

God’s transforming and empowering love is a gift; it is a gift revealed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who died for our sins. In Romans 5:8 St. Paul said, “It is proof of God’s own love for us that Christ died for us.” With such irrefutable proof, there is no room for fear. And so, we all should have the courage to live our lives of faith openly, to acknowledge our faith in God and in Jesus Christ his son, and to proclaim the Gospel message from our housetops, in our schools, in our workplaces and in our community.

Lord God, our Father,

we have experienced much grace and love

and forgiving mercy from you

and your Son Jesus has brought us

an unforgettable message of joy.

Do not allow us ever to forget this

and make us bold enough to share with others

what we have received from you as a free gift.

May our very lives bear witness

that Jesus walks by our side

and that we should never be afraid

of proclaiming with our very lives

our hope and trusting faith in you.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

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