14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
'Brothers and sisters: You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him' stated Saint Paul in his letter to the Romans 8:9, 11-13 our second reading today. My dear friends in Christ, yes we are made in God’s image and likeness, yes we are children of God, yes we are blessed indeed by God because we are His own, but how do we live in the Spirit so as to have the Spirit of God dwell in us? How can we have the Spirit of Christ in us and how do we belong to Him? Living in the Spirit entails being led by the promptings of the Holy Spirit to transform and renew ourselves in mind, body and spirit so as to discern and do the will of God. Hence, in order to live in the Spirit, we are called to do the following: Go back to God, Listen to Him, Accept His Word, Obey Him and Practice His Word.
Going back to God means repenting of our sins and renewing our lives in Him. Are you ready to change your life for God and for good? If so, it is time say ‘no’ to a life of sin and say ‘yes’ to a renewed life in God. Listening to God means opening up our hearts and not just our ears when we hear His gospel. Are you willing and ready to hear and welcome the Word of God into your life today?
Accepting the gospel here means receiving, acknowledging and affirming the gospel of Christ. Have you truly said "yes" to the gospel or are we still rationalizing, picking and choosing the ones you like and the ones that fits your own ideologies and beliefs instead of accepting God’s word? Obeying God is of great importance if we are His disciples, because obedience to Him is answering the call to discipleship. Are you obedient to God? Practicing God’s word is living out the gospel of Christ and living out the gospel is establishing the kingdom of God on earth. Are you practicing your faith and your belief in God by living out the gospel and establishing His kingdom in the world?
My dear brothers and sisters, it is time to live in the Spirit and let the Spirit of Christ dwell in us by wholeheartedly going back to God, by sincerely listening to Him speak to us through the gospels and the teachings of the Church, by truthfully accepting His gospel, by being obedient to Him and by living out His gospel. Amen!
