Homily

In today's epistle St. Paul urges the Corinthian Christians to use the grace they have received from God. He says that today is the time, today is the day of salvation. He doesn’t mean we don’t look for salvation at the end of our lives. He simply reminds them that today is also the day that they can be saved, because the salvation offered to us by God, in Christ, through the Holy Spirit is not a one moment in time gift of love. We can be saved day by day by day if we are open to the grace of God, if we look to Him. That’s how we should be saved.

Paul uses himself as an example and he lists all the troubles and hardships and sufferings he has had to face during his ministry, including beatings and jail. Those are two pains inflicted on him because of his preaching in the gentile world. Other hardships he suffered were either just part of the normal difficulties that can be found in life or they were troubles that came to him because of his work in preaching the gospel. Other hardships were voluntarily chosen for his spiritual growth and for the benefit of his churches, such as when he mentions that he fasted and prayed during vigils throughout the night.

But that’s not all! He undergoes his work with the positive virtues of purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in a holy spirit and genuine love, in truthful speech. He practices those virtues, he says, in the power of God. Then he provides us with an image of him standing with the weapons of righteousness—a sword in his right hand to attack and do battle against sins, lies and evil; a shield in his left hand for protection against the weapons of the wicked. Sometimes he feels glory, other times people treat him shamefully. Sometimes he is praised, but other times he is insulted. Paul will not bend to either one. He remains the same, in the grace of God.

Do we think today is a good time to be saved, and are we willing to accept His salvation? Or are we so busy trying to save ourselves that we don’t have the time to look for God’s saving help? And if we do look to God for help, are we simply expecting to get a divine and holy aspirin that will relieve us from our pains? So often we turn to God as though He is the doctor, the repair man, the consultant, the engineer, the fixer. He should take care of my pains and troubles and make them go away. It’s okay to ask the Lord to make our pains and troubles go away. That’s okay. But we also need to realize that sometimes our pains and troubles are opportunities to grow in grace and virtue, opening us up to greater spiritual good, a stronger love and trust in our Lord. St. Paul tried to live in that kind of faith. Whether good things come, or bad things come, today is the day that the Lord offers to save me. I don’t just need saving from threats that are out there, from the troubles and hardships of life. I also need to be saved from myself, from my own sins and weakness.

In our society today we find a lot of attitude. “Look at me. Pay attention to me. Accept and believe what I am telling you or I will find ways to make you pay. You cannot tell me what is right or what is wrong because all things are right if I want them. I believe only science can tell us the truth, except for when I don’t want to believe it because it’s not what I want to hear.”

In the face of all that let us say, “O Lord save me. Save us. Save this world.” This is the day we need to be saved, so that we can live to be saved tomorrow as well. The last blessing of the Liturgy here today asks the Lord to have mercy on us and save us. Let these words be on our lips today: “Save me O Lord. Save my family, my friends, save this country. O Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You!”