Spiritual Corner - Life and Actions Should Always Be in Accordance With God’s Call
In the Vesper Reading for the First Sunday of Advent: “May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) St. Paul prayed for all the believers that the God of peace would not only sanctify, but would also personally sanctify in every way. Dear friends, this is such a great blessing, can you fathom this?
In the Letter to the Ephesians Chapter 4, St. Paul reminds all believers to “strive to keep the unity of the Church, put off the old self and put on the new self, urging the believers to avoid sin.” With the attitude of a “prisoner for the Lord”, St. Paul implores all believers: “To walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,…..eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, for there is one body and one Spirit, …..one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.”
The Apostle Paul also reminds us: “The grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; so that we may no longer be children…..”
St. Paul encourages all believers: “To speak the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Christ, who is the head, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and building up the church itself in love.” Here, it is very clearly taught: “No longer children,” but, to be perfected saints, able to fulfill their respective roles.
In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus also reminds us: “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” And it is on the condition that one should: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? …..And if you salute only your brethren, what special thing have you done?”
It seems that pursuing faith is one thing, living and acting on it is another. Integrating the two truly requires mutual encouragement, prayer, and support within the Lord.
Yours,
Sr. Magdalena Yang
