The first line of this reading indicates quite clearly that God is very interested in the decisions we make. Are we men and women of integrity, justice and truth? All of these concepts have an enormous impact on our lives. We cannot afford to dismiss them as the result of human efforts and therefore not relevant to the spiritual life. We have to learn to integrate our spiritual beliefs with the way we live. The degree to which we do this successfully will indicate how effective we are in witnessing to the Gospel. This is what we mean by living a life of integrity.
St. Peter reminds us that we should always be ready to give an account of the hope with which we live (1 Peter 3:15). This assumes that our lives are significant enough to stand out from the rest of the people around us. This ought to be the goal of our lives — to be different enough in order to make a difference in other people’s lives. This is the way the power of the Gospel is made manifest in the world — through the holiness and commitment of believers. Isaiah tells the Israelites that their justice and concern cannot just be for themselves but must include foreigners in their land as well. In a world that was somewhat ethnocentric, this is a rather novel idea that would not have been readily accepted. In his time, more than 2,600 years ago, it was the accepted norm to look after one’s own people even at the expense of justice and fairness for others. The Jewish legal framework was quite revolutionary in the substantial protection it provided for foreigners.
If we live the life of the Spirit, if we follow the laws of God, our lives would become the prophetic instruments promoting life and rejecting sin and the culture of death. This call is a privilege as it will place our lives at the heart of the proclamation of the Gospel, a place we should desire to be above all others.
Reflection Question:
Are we willing to take on this call or is God going to have to look for someone else to do it?
Holy Spirit, help me to accept the call God makes on my life and give me the grace to be faithful to following it wherever it may lead me.
St. Demetrius, pray for us.
