Word to the Wise
Thursday, October 13, 2022 - Thursday in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time
[Eph 1:1-10 and Luke 11:47-54]Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. [Ephesians]
The opening lines of the Letter to the Ephesians are among the most beautiful in the New Testament. Although Pauline authorship is still debated, the Church nonetheless considers the letter to be inspired by the Holy Spirit, and I am grateful for that. To use a modern expression, these lines are truly "cosmic!" When the life of the Church in the midst of human messiness gets a bit overwhelming, these lines can help us stand a little taller and reach for better goals.
The "adoption" of which the letter speaks is something that St. Paul speaks about elsewhere, especially in his Letter to the Romans: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, thourhg which we cry, "Abba, Father!" The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. St. Paul came from a province of the Roman Empire in which Roman citizenship had been granted to the inhabitants, which made the Roman law of adoption the law of the land. An adopted person became a member of the family with all the same rights and privileges of a "natural" child. Through baptism, we become "adopted" children of God!
This vision of our relationship to God, in which we fondly call God "Abba," meaning "Daddy!", can be consoling in times of trial. The image of the welcoming father in the parable of the Prodigal Son in the Gospel According to Luke comes to mind. [Luke 15:11-32]. The gift of faith in Jesus Christ is the gift of being a "member of the family!" It is more than a vision. It is hope in our time of need. AMEN