Trinity VIII- Romans 8:12-17

 In different ways, both the Epistle and the Gospel for Eighth Sunday after Trinity are warnings about spiritual life. The Gospel points to the dangers of bad spiritual leaders, and the Epistle points to the spiritual struggles of individual souls. This time, my focus is on the Epistle from Romans 8:12- 17. In these few verses, St. Paul contrasts the fleshly life with the true spiritual life. By the "flesh," the Apostle is not referring to the mere fact of human physical existence. Here "flesh" is referring to the fallenness and weakness of the human condition. And by spiritual, Paul is not exalting some vague notion of an immaterial aspect of existence. Rather, the Apostle is encouraging a life inspired by and empowered by the Holy Spirit, a life directed toward God the Father, and a life lived in unity with God the Son, Jesus Christ. Such a Christian life includes a renunciation of worldliness and a readiness to accept the cross of Christ.

In this life, every Christian faces an ongoing struggle between the fallen nature and the higher self dedicated to God. Every aspect of life, from our basic physical needs to our highest religious ideals is subject to temptation and distortion. Of course, physical things such as food, creature comforts, and sexual impulses are common fleshly temptations, but so are pride in our moral standing and dependence on the goodness of our own religious practices. To use Paul's term, we must always be ready to "mortify" our dependence on even our best characteristics. In all areas of earthly life, we need to be healed by divine grace and accept divine guidance. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we need to be unified with Christ and His cross more and more deeply

Trinity VI- True Righteousness- Matthew 5:20-26; Romans 6:3-11

 For this Sixth Sunday after Trinity, let us begin with the first verse from the Gospel. Matthew 5:20 says, "Jesus said unto his disciples, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.'" What does this mean? The Pharisees were noted for their pursuit of legal righteousness. How could the disciples of Jesus even dare to hope that their righteousness could exceed that of the Pharisees?

We see the answer in Matthew 5:21-26. In these verses and throughout the Sermon on the Mount, it becomes clear that our Lord is not talking about a mere external legalistic obedience to the commandments of divine Law. While following certain rules helps restrain evil and provides some basic guidance, external obedience is not sufficient. Just following the rules is not enough. Seeking true righteousness involves inner attitudes. It means constant repentance and renewal in faith, hope, and love. Ultimately, true righteousness must come through divine grace poured into our sinful lives through Jesus Christ. 

In other words, Matthew 5 is referring to the same spirituality found in the Epistle for the day from Romans 6:3-11. The only way for fallen human beings to be righteous is through union with Jesus Christ, a union which takes place through Baptism and Faith. Disciples become righteous through dying and rising with Christ. This is symbolized initially in Christian Baptism, but in this fallen world, it must be constantly renewed until the end of our earthly pilgrimages. This renewal can take place in many ways, but notably, it occurs through hearing and reading the Word, participating in the Lord's Supper, and constant prayer. Day by day and week by week, we must continue dying to sin and being "alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:.11)