“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give” (Mt 10:8).
We cannot buy the grace of God, we do not earn our way into the kingdom of heaven. God’s grace and presence are freely given, without cost and without our effort. As with any gift, the joy and fulfillment come from the willingness to receive and open the gift. At the same time, God’s grace is not cheap grace.
God has given us the gift of his Son. We have the choice to say yes or no to receiving him, each and every moment, each and every day, with each and every breath. When we accept his offer of relationship, our life will be different. Just as when the wise men from the East went back a different way they came after experiencing Jesus as an infant, just as the Apostles lives were transformed, we too will never be the same. And that, though it may draw up some anxiety, is a good thing. We will hopefully begin to see, think, speak, and act differently. We like the disciples, will be transformed.
Our relationship with Jesus also brings reconciliation, and healing. Yet, this gift that we receive and open is not for our sake alone. We are invited to freely share the love of Jesus we have received with others. The Second Vatican Council renewed this call for evangelization. We are to, as did the Apostles, his disciples, and those within each following generation, live how he lived, say what he said, and do what he did, yet through our own unique and individual expression. As a bright light that shines through a prism, depending on the unique angle of the cut, a different color will emanate forth. Just so are we to be, reflecting the light of God in our daily experiences with our own unique color. The key is to remember that the source is God.
Words of belittlement and condemnation do not emanate from the love of God. When necessary, Jesus may call us to speak words of correction, but with tender chords of love leading to a better way. We speak as Jesus when we empower, affirm, and heal. We do what Jesus did when we resist reacting and choose instead to build relationships and engage in respectful dialogue. This also happens when through acts of hospitality, mercy, forgiveness, healing, being present, patient, understanding, and when we attend to the needs of others, especially the most vulnerable.
We are also to live as Jesus did, “for it is written, ‘Be holy because I [am] holy’” (cf. 1 Peter 1:15-16). We begin to grow in holiness when we recognize, repent, choose no longer to be governed by, and instead seek healing from our own self-sufficiency, pride, and self-centered ways of living. We grow in holiness when we trust and say yes to receiving the gift of the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit who heals and transforms us so that we become aflame with his love. Following Jesus will shift our disposition and posture from the stiff arm of keeping others at a distance, including God, and instead open our arms wide to embrace and love one another as Jesus loves us.
Jesus has a unique call for each of us that begins when we are willing to slow down long enough to receive and rest in his love. Experiencing his unconditional embrace, we will begin to let go of the weight, the stress, and the strain of trying to fix ourselves. Allowing ourselves to be loved helps instead helps us to heal, and from that place of rest resist reacting and instead seeing each other as human beings, created in the image of his Father. Led and loved by Jesus, we grow in holiness and our likeness to God is slowly restored. Daily experiencing the love of God, we now have something to give and we can begin where we started: “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give” (Mt 10:8).
Photo: As did Mary, may we say yes to, receive, and share God’s love. Grotto on the grounds of Grand Coteau Retreats.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 