Created in God’s Image

The human person (you and I) is fundamentally good because we are created in God’s Image. Yes – we are capable of evil because the human person has free will and can make good/bad choices BUT the human person was made for greatness.

“God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness …
God created man in His own image.
In God’s image He created him;
male and female He created them.
God blessed them.
God said to them,
‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.’ …
God saw everything that He had made,
and behold it was good …
The heavens, the earth, and all their vast array were finished.
On the seventh day God finished His work which He had done;
and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy,
because He rested from all His work of creation which He had done.
Genesis 1:26-2.3

The human person is the result of God’s creative energy. We are the peak of God’s creation. God placed the human person on planet earth. God gave us Mother Earth to be our home. We are to be responsible stewards of this precious gift continuing God’s creative effort.

Genesis tells us that God finished His work of creation on the seventh day and rested. The message is clear. We are meant to work – each in his/her own capacity with his/her own gifts. BUT, like God, we are also meant to take time from our labors and rest. Rest is a healing, restorative gift. We have a right to a good rest from honest labor. May we praise God for the gift of Creation; for the gift of honest work and for the rejuvenating gift of rest.

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love is the fulfillment of the law

In Romans 13:8-10, St. Paul goes to the heart of the matter.

“Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no evil to the neighbor, hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Romantic love is based in feelings. The love that St. Paul talks about is based in the choices that we make. The best definition of love that I have ever encountered is this: Love is the conscious choice that I make for the good of another. This love is not necessarily based on feelings. I may not like the individual involved. Love is based on a choice that I make – the choice is made for the good of another. The choice is made with the purest possible motivation. I choose to love another as Jesus has chosen to love me. I am loved by Jesus. I seek to follow Jesus. I act as Jesus would – with kindness, mercy, compassion, acceptance – always with the good of the other in mind. I seek to love another not out of a sense of obligation but rather out of a conviction based in how Jesus would act. The goal is to bring my actions in conformity with His. A life-long journey? Yes! But it is the only road to travel.

There is no other!

Jesus Christ is Savior. He is Lord and Master. There is no other!

“I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Jesus could not be more explicit. Jesus, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, took on human flesh becoming like us in all ways except for sin. Jesus taught us a whole new value system. His teachings put Him in direct conflict with the important people of his day. He was handed over to His enemies. He was condemned to death. He was crucified and suffered an agonizing death on the cross. He was buried in a tomb. On the third day, He was raised from the dead. He sits at the right Hand of the Father in heaven. He is the Way to salvation. He is the only Gate to heaven. Blessed are we who believe. May we pray daily for an increase of faith.

new beginnings in life

Jesus tells the scribes and Pharisees a parable (Luke 5:33-39).

“… no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins…”

If a person is in recovery from an addiction, e.g., that person must make a break with his/her past. They must stop frequenting places where they acted out, e.g., bars, horse tracks. They must let go of their old circle of friends and develop a new circle of friends among those who are free of their addiction. Sometimes, a geographic re-relocation is necessary especially after a failed marriage or the death of a spouse or children. Completion of studies and the search for a career may require many life changes. New beginnings are needed when a person has undergone a conversion from sinful behaviors. New habits have to be formed. A newly married couple may need some geographic space from familial space. Life often demands new beginnings if we are to grow and tap our potential. Jesus says that “new wine” must be poured into “fresh wineskins.”

Do not be afraid of living the Christian faith

In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus speaks to a crowd from a small fishing boat belonging to Simon Peter. After finishing, he tells Simon: “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon replies: “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,” and then adds with a grain of faith and deep respect coated with skepticism, “but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish. Simon and the other fishermen nearby are filled with amazement. Jesus then says to them – as he says to you and me today, “Do not be afraid …”

“Do not be afraid!” Jesus utters these words to His disciples of 2000 years ago. Jesus utters these words to us today. “Do not be afraid!” Why? Because Jesus is in the boat of our lives – with us at all times. Jesus will never leave that boat no matter how many storms assail it. Jesus will see us through the storms of life. Jesus will see to it that we always have an adequate catch of fish – that is, Jesus will see to it that we have whatever it is we need to live life. In a world of increasing anti-Christian rhetoric and violence, Jesus promises: “Do not be afraid!” I am with you!