I was reading and praying through our scripture for this weekend in our Missalette (The Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), and I saw that the verse for the Gospel Acclamation today is: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation…” Maybe your first reaction (mine was) is probably that we Christians have a special place of honor with all the perks implied by power. But the implication here is huge for us true believers—and it is not about the privileges of power—but about the responsibility, the mission, the inheritance and accountability we are called to as Catholic Christians.
This “entitlement” as named Christians is one that demands deep commitment and fierce self-reflection. Our integrity as true believers must constantly be held to a Gospel standard and examined: are we doing the right thing in the moment, the hard thing, and waiting for a later and better reward? That is what each and every one of us is called to do. And we also have a collective responsibility in that all of us are responsible to these core ideals—no “passing the buck.”
St. Paul tells us that by our Baptism we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ: if we die with Christ, we shall live with Him in “newness of life.” We are called to live for God in Jesus, announcing His praises, called out of darkness into light—doing the hard work. A new life is what we will find: an energized best version we are called to be in order to work in this field of souls. That is the life we are chosen for and that we choose: acceptance that bestows responsibility for others, accountability for our actions, and the joy of the cross. Is it worth the sacrifice and hard work, eschewing the easy way out? Only you can say for you.
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
This “entitlement” as named Christians is one that demands deep commitment and fierce self-reflection. Our integrity as true believers must constantly be held to a Gospel standard and examined: are we doing the right thing in the moment, the hard thing, and waiting for a later and better reward? That is what each and every one of us is called to do. And we also have a collective responsibility in that all of us are responsible to these core ideals—no “passing the buck.”
St. Paul tells us that by our Baptism we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ: if we die with Christ, we shall live with Him in “newness of life.” We are called to live for God in Jesus, announcing His praises, called out of darkness into light—doing the hard work. A new life is what we will find: an energized best version we are called to be in order to work in this field of souls. That is the life we are chosen for and that we choose: acceptance that bestows responsibility for others, accountability for our actions, and the joy of the cross. Is it worth the sacrifice and hard work, eschewing the easy way out? Only you can say for you.
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
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