In today’s first reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans, he asks this poignant question: If God is for us, who can be against us? Now think about that for a second—how true that is. God, who so loved the world, sent His only begotten Son into the world to save us. In other words, He gave everything He could—His most treasured Son, His only Son—out of love for us.
In fact, Saint Paul goes on to say, “He did not spare His own Son, but handed Him over for us all. How will He not also give us everything else along with Him?” In other words, if He gives us His Son, will He not defend us against evil? If we ask Him, will He not strengthen us in our spiritual journey? If we ask Him, will He not sanctify us and purify us—if we ask Him, if we let Him, if we cooperate with Him?
And here’s the key: God is always on our side. He wants to be with us always. But there’s the other part of the equation—just as important. How much do I want Him to be with me? How much do I want Him to be on my side? How am I responding to His grace?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus indicates this second part of the equation when He says: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you! How many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling.”
There is the key—they were unwilling to receive Jesus for who He actually was, for His true mission: to redeem us from sin, not to liberate us from the Romans, not to set us free from an earthly tyrant. He came to conquer an enemy much more vicious, much more enduring, much more permanent—His final enemy, which Scripture calls death.
And when He revealed these things—and how, due to the eternal nature of our souls, we were to forgive petty grievances along with deep wounds, even generations of oppression—yes, because generations of oppression cannot compare to eternal Paradise with God.
The Jews were enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years as a people. But every one of those Jews that died in slavery, we trust that God took unto Himself. And now, it’s been long over four hundred years since their passing—and in Paradise, they can say, “Nothing compares to this.”
My brothers and sisters, let us set our sights on the goal at hand—on the finish line. Let us run the race, as Saint Paul tells us, so as to win the race, so as to place first. In other words, let us do our utmost to respond to this invitation of God to be on our side—to select us, to be on His team.
Because with Him as our Captain, with Him as our Guide and Protector, we can conquer the enemy with the Spirit of God—not with the spirit of the world, not with pride or arrogance, but with humility and trust in God’s grace.
And may Almighty God bless you all, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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