Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity- Ephesians 3:16-17

The Epistle for this Sunday is from Ephesians 3:13-21. This is a passage rich in many topics, but this time, I would focus on verses 16 and 17a: "that he [God the Father]would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith...." 

Here we see the interaction of the Holy Trinity for our salvation and sanctification. The Father works in a transcendent way as He sends the Holy Spirit to work upon our inner selves, and this work of the Spirit enables Christ to dwell in the hearts of those who have faith. 

Remaining aware of both the outward and inner workings of God often seems difficult for human beings. There is an external objective work of God in the universe and upon human beings which we must not ignore. Yet, this external work also needs to be accompanied by an internal and personal or subjective influence within believers. If we neglect either the external or the inward aspect, we do not benefit from the full biblical concept of divine action.

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity- Galatians 6:14

From the Epistle to the Galatians, let us highlight a key verse. Galatians 6:14 says, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." The Apostle Paul had a great religious heritage and a great intellect. He worked extremely hard and endured much for the cause of Christ. Yet, despite such great advantages, St. Paul realized that he had no personal reason to glory. Only the crucified and risen Savior was his reason to glory.

The same is true of every believer. For the Christian believer, there is ultimately only one reason for glory: the cross of Jesus Christ. Through what Christ accomplished on the cross, those who are joined with Him in faith and in Baptism die to worldly life in order to share in eternal life. In the long run, such divine grace is the source of any glory in the Christian life.