Word to the Wise
Saturday, June 15, 2013 - Saturday in the 10th Week in Ordinary Time
[2 Cor 5:14-21 and Matt 5:33-37]So, whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation.....
The fashion, comestic and health care industries are constantly offering to consumers the possibility of being a "new you!" Just buy their product and use it (as directed - your results may vary) and great things will happen! Those promises are rarely fulfilled. For St. Paul, the only "new" person is the person who has come to faith and been baptized. As he points out in earlier lines from today's passage, Christ suffered, died and rose on our behalf, so that we, through baptism, are identified with him as "new!" We are a "new creation." This is not a cosmetic thing but a completely new identity.
St. Paul also points out that this new identity carries with it a "ministry of reconciliation," so we don't just bask in the glory of our status as Christians as if this is a personal possession, but rather we offer this possibility to others. The "New Evangelization" that Bl. John Paul II spoke of refers to Catholics speaking to other Catholics in order to renew the faith! So many do not realize the power of their baptism working in them. The ministry of reconciliation has to start with with the "reconciled" who don't know or have forgotten about this! We don't need to buy anything to be a new creation. We already have this gift. We may have just let our "new" get "old!" AMEN