by Father Bill Kreutz, SJ, Loyola House of Studies.
13th Sunday 2020
The Word, Paul’s Letter to Romans 6.3-4,8-11
3 Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.
8 If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.
9 We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.
10 As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God.
11 Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.
A Reflection and My Prayer
“New Life, New Life, You came to bring us New Life”
This is the theme for our prayer and reflection today; words from a song about God’s gift of life. (See below for Youtube link).
St. Paul puts it so clearly – death for sin; life for us in Christ Jesus!
Read the passage over again. Pray to understand; to internalize the words, ” . . . living for God in Christ Jesus.”
Well, we ask, what does it mean for my daily life? Does that Baptism of so many years ago make any difference?
In the early centuries of the Church, most baptism was done by immersion. And so going into the water was like dying and coming up was resurrection – death and resurrection like Christ. (For various practical reasons, immersion was no longer the standard; pouring or sprinkling with water became the practice.) A key element in this is to know, to remember that we are all God’s children and for this reason we are to live in the spirit of his Son, Jesus the Christ.
Reminder: Jesus is a man for others – a man of compassion and mercy for others. We, the children of God are born again in the style of Jesus – also to be men and women for others. Take time and pray on this – Jesus, ourselves, for others.
The Jesus’ reality is seen by the following:
- Do we think kindly of others – pray for blessings on them?
- How do we speak of others – with good words that build people up?
- How do we act toward others – with kindness, generosity, with justice?
- And what yet is still to be done for others? What can I do for others?
Go now to quiet prayer. Ask for the grace, for the spirit of Jesus to be in you, to possess you that you might be “for others” as Jesus was for others. End with the Prayer for Generosity.
Musical Prayer: New Life – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjH759VffKQ
