Tuesday March 1, 2022

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Today's readings remind me that all good things point to Christ. His life, death and resurrection are the shining high point in history. All things were in preparation for His coming in the flesh and victory over sin on the cross; all things after Him find their true value in the light of His Gospel.

In the first Reading, the Apostle Peter tells his readers how privileged they are as Christians. The prophets that preceded them prophesied in the Holy Spirit about the sufferings and glory of Christ, and the grace that would be poured out on His followers. Peter challenges them, “gird up the loins of your mind” - to understand their lives not as they once did before they knew Christ, but as God's blessed children, called to a life of holiness. They (we) are to take God's command through Moses: “Be holy as I am holy” as our own in Christ.

Psalm 98 prophetically announces God's victory, justice and salvation through Christ. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, speaking a thousand years before Jesus, through David. The victories, the triumphs and saving grace at work in the establishment of David's kingdom were a foreshadowing and preparation for what we have received in Jesus:

“Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.
The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise.”

The psalms point to Christ; He is the fulfillment of all history. Therefore, any narrative that marginalizes or minimizes the rule and reign of Jesus in our lives, and in the life of the world, is a lie. There are many such narratives at work in our time. This is why Peter tells us to “gird up the loins” of our minds. This is the talk of battle. We are in an era of battling ideas. We must constantly remind ourselves that we are in Christ – we share in His victory and gift of the Holy Spirit Who makes us, members of His body, a holy people. We are not expendable consumers or pawns in an economic or political plan. We have supreme dignity among all God's creatures – so much so, that God Himself entered our human history and gave His life to restore us to our rightful place as members of His household.

In the Gospel (Mk 10:28-31), Jesus assures Peter that he and anyone who has left their old life behind for Him will receive a hundredfold reward – not without persecutions here on earth – in this life and into the next. These promises from Jesus tell me that everything I do, every sacrifice of time, possessions and empty pursuits to follow Him is more than worth it. Only He can truly fill my deepest hunger and longings. I look back on my own past sins, mistakes and misguided ideas and see only the grace of God at work, reaching out to me again and again to bring me into a better, more deeply fulfilling place. Hardship and suffering have been part of this journey; they always will be. But the grace has far outweighed it all. Nothing compares to walking with Jesus. All paths either lead us to Him or to a dead end.

All praise, honour and glory to You, Lord Jesus, with the Father and the Holy Spirit. You alone satisfy the deep hunger of my heart and soul. Use me this day in accordance with Your holy will. Amen.

Link to Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030122.cfm

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