Holy Martyr Lucillianus and those with him.
Apostles’ Fast.
Romans 7:1-13. Matthew 9:36-10:8.
Read Romans 7:1-13
Paul reflects on a struggle that existed in the early Church and continues to exist today: the tension between living by the Spirit and living by the Law.
In Paul’s context, many of the Jews who converted to Christ insisted that following the Law of Moses was necessary and that Gentiles who converted to Christ also had to be circumcised and follow the law.
Paul insists that this is not the case. He insists that while the law had a purpose for a time in salvation history it is not binding for Christ’s faithful. While the law can teach us when we have sinned or gone astray, it itself cannot save us. Only Christ can save.
In our day there is a phenomenon in the Church which bears some resemblance to this problem. It’s a sense that as long as I do enough of the right things, I’m ‘good’ (whatever ‘good’ is supposed to mean). As long as I go to Church on Sunday, make my Easter confession, donate a bit of money to my parish, avoid committing huge sins (like murder), I’m okay.
Basically, if I fulfil the precepts of the Church and don’t kill or viciously assault anyone, there isn’t much more for me to do. Perhaps this is part of why so many of our parishes are struggling.
I’ve never heard anyone vocalize so bluntly, but I’ve witnessed it lived out countless times. And it saddens me.
It saddens me because there is so much more to our life in Christ than this. Our life in Christ should fill us with radiance, with joy, with purpose. Our life in Christ should drive us to action for Christ, to spread the Gospel, to serve the poor.
The ‘things’ that we’re ‘supposed to do’ as Christians are guides and pointers, not goals. Our goal is to be fully alive in Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit journeying to the Father. We are enlivened by relationship of love with the Godhead, not servants to a list of rules to be fulfilled.
So, live by the Spirit! Yes, the rules and canons of the Church are helpful and should be followed, but they aren’t the goal—life with God in eternity is.