Sunday, November 4, 2007

Homily for Thursday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time

For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/110807.shtml

There is happiness to be had in growing in virtue, and in breaking the habits of sin that lessen our freedom to love the things of heaven. But growing in virtue is always the result not of our asserting our willpower but of our letting the Lord find us and heal us at our weakest point. Our goal is not to become one of the 99 righteous people who have no need of repentance, but to find our joy in the kingdom of heaven, where the greatest rejoicing is for the one sinner who repents. Even as the Lord accomplishes great work in us, and habits of sin are continually broken, we are not to become less dependent on the Lord’s mercy, but to find our strength and our joy in our identity as sinners who are constantly being found. As St. Paul tries to tell us, this is the only way for our lives to gain an eternal and lasting dimension; to belong to the Lord at all times. Whether we live or we die, we are the Lord’s.

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