Waste Not His Grace

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Monday of 11th of Ordinary Time, Year 1, June 14th, 2021
Texts: 2 Cor. 6: 1- 10; Ps. 98: 1-4; Mtt. 5:38-42
The grace of God makes us to triumph over evil, not to indulge in it. With the grace of God in our lives we conquer evil with good. Seeing grace this way we come to realise the connection between the gospel reading and the first reading, between Jesus' word and St. Paul's appeal to us today. Jesus calls us to make the grace of God work in our lives by saying, "You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.” St. Paul puts it clearly by saying, "we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain."
We have to put the grace of God at work in our lives. One way in which the grace of God manifests in our lives is by doing good and conquering evil with good. Paul tells us that we have to put the grace of God at work because God has listened to us and come to our aid at the time of need. The acceptable time is the time of need. He has come to our help by giving us grace. What we need now is to put the grace He has given us at work. Let us justify the grace we have received from God by doing good. It is wrong to turn bandits, armed robbers or terrorists because of poverty or failure of Government in its responsibility. God's grace is against spreading of fake news, misinformation and disinformation in attempt to discredit a government. The grace of God in us demands that we address every issue through the right means. In this our time and age it is easy to become an acomplice in evil through the kind of posts or information one shares. Do not share what you cannot confirm; do not share what you do not know its source; if you know the source but you cannot trust it, do not share. Now it is the time of salvation, let us conquer the evil in our world by doing good, not spreading evil.
Time of salvation is the time in which God bestows grace, it is the time that God comes to our help. Hence, to say that this is the time of salvation is to say that this is the time of grace. It is the time of salvation because Christ has come, suffered, died and risen for us; He has purchased for us salvation through His passion, death and resurrection. We have no excuse any longer for not practicing good. Whenever we fail to do good, we waste the grace of God. Whenever we do evil, we waste the grace of God. Whenever we pay evil with evil we waste the grace of God.
Another way in which the grace of God manifests in our lives is through growth in virtues. When we put the grace of God at work, we will grow in virtues. St. Paul and his coworkers are presented in the first reading as men full of grace and abound in virtues. St. Paul says, "but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labours, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute." We need to put the grace of God at work by growing in virtues, such as endurance, patience, purity, truthful speech, righteousness, kindness, forbearance, knowledge, genuine love etc.

Lord our God, we thank You for Your grace in our lives, May we never waste Your grace, but put it at work. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke