Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time (June 14, 2017): Trading up to a higher glory.

2 Corinthians 3:4-11
Ps 99:5-9
Matthew 5:17-19
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/061417.cfm

USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/17_06_14.mp3

In today’s first reading, St. Paul makes an interesting contrast between the fading glory of God’s law and the enduring glory of God’s Spirit. What was fading was the old covenant. It had brought condemnation — the “ministry of death” — because none of us are totally obedient to the law. The new covenant brings life from the death of Jesus and from the Holy Spirit who is the Giver of Life — because none of us are totally obedient to the law.

Jesus says in today’s Gospel that he came to fulfill the law, which he accomplished through his total obedience. By never sinning and always doing the Father’s will, even when he wanted to resist it (remember his struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane), he could establish a new covenant. This covenant brings out the true intentions of the law — the spirit of the law, the “ministry of the Spirit” — which calls us to higher standards than the old covenant did.

Sometimes we confuse these higher standards with perfectionism, as if we can get to heaven by obeying Church laws and rules and liturgical norms. We focus on obedience to the letter of the law while forgetting the Spirit of the law. The new covenant is life in the Holy Spirit, which has us imitating Christ in everything we do, which brings us into full obedience to God.

The difference between an old covenant and new covenant relationship with God is love. If we serve God because we love him, we also love everyone whom he loves (which is EVERYone). This love is evidenced in how willingly we serve them. Although we might grow tired or feel hurt or face unpleasant tasks, we always want to do more for him. We’re not satisfied with being mediocre, because Jesus wasn’t mediocre, and so we do our best to excel.

If we serve God only out of obedience, we’re attempting to get to heaven by the old covenant. This is evidenced in how much we’re motivated by guilt instead of love. For example: “I’m doing this because the pastor asked me. If I say no, he won’t like me, or maybe God won’t like me and a bolt of lightning will soon zap me.” Any glory of being in ministry for God fades. Our enthusiasm wanes. We grumble about the work. We take short-cuts to get the job done.

One of the greatest glories a person can have is to give Jesus to others. However, whether as a priest who consecrates the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ or as a deacon or lay person who distributes the Eucharist, although we do this because we love Jesus who’s present in the Eucharist, if we do not also love each person who comes to us to receive Jesus — in Mass and in everyday life — we’re not really loving Jesus either.

The Spirit of the law is love. Jesus fulfilled the old covenant on our behalf so that he could raise us up into a ministry of love that’s lived every moment of every day.

Thank You, Lord, because when You teach me how to love, You help me to receive everything I need so that my joy is in You. Amen.