Daily Scriptures Reflection for 10/22/11

Scripture: Lectionary 478: Romans 8:1-11. Psalm 24:3-4.5-6. Luke 13:1-9

After the dreadful yet inspiring introspection of Paul in chapter seven of
Romans, we now are greeted with the awe-inspiring chapter eight. It needs
very little comment for we are directly in touch with the Holy Spirit who
speaks clearly in this chapter about our sanctification. It is often
entitled as “Life in the Spirit.”

Paul turns to the Holy Spirit to talk about the magnanimous gift of God’s
overwhelming love for us shown in the redeeming love of Christ whose death
on the Cross has liberated from all the bonds of sin and death; even the
difficulties of struggling with the law and with ourselves is now under the
power of the Holy Spirit and the Son of God who gave his life for all of
us.

There is no condemnation for us when we live the life of the Spirit
dwelling within us. Paul shares with us his conviction about this inward
experience of the Holy Spirit which makes us aware and appreciative for
what Jesus, the Son of God has done for us. We then have the joy and peace
of God within us and we are being sanctified. We become aware of the
Trinity even though we cannot fathom the mystery of what the Trinity is or
means. Paul keeps reinforcing the dwelling of the Spirit within us as he
explains his own efforts to express what life in the Spirit means. Paul is
helping us to ponder, to meditate on God’s mercy and loving-kindness and to
pray through the Spirit dwelling within our hearts. God has graced us from
making us in God’s image and likeness; then Jesus, the Son of God ransoms
us from sin and death by his total gift of love, and the Holy Spirit
confirms that love and is that love of God and the Son of God.

Justification by faith alone is the beginning of this greater gift of love
through life in the Spirit. Jesus then continues to instruct us as to how
to be his disciples and share in the love and life in the Spirit. We see
from the Gospel that Jesus was historically present and knew of the secular
things going on around him. The governor Pontius Pilate is mentioned in
our selection from Luke and it shows how cruel this man was even though
some early Christians considered him to be saintly. Jesus explains what he
means through another parable which shows us how patient God is with us. We
always are given another chance to turn completely to God through the Holy
Spirit who dwells within us. In this way the eight chapter of Paul shows
us how to live this life through contemplating the living word of God
inspired by the Holy Spirit in Paul and already lived out in Jesus who was
more than the Scriptures. He as a divine Person was made flesh and lived
among us as the Word of God. Glory! to the Father, and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit in every time and in every age. Amen.