Msgr. Charles Pope: Four Fundamentals of our Faith – A Homily for the 11th Sunday of the Year

By Msgr. Charles Pope, June 17, 2023

The Second reading today from St. Paul to the Romans speaks to important truths that we should know: 

OUR DESTITUTION – Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly…..while we were  still sinners Christ died for us.  The full reading calls us: helpless, ungodly, unjust and sinners. This was our condition before Christ. St Paul says elsewhere,  “You were dead in your sins” (Eph 2:1). Psalm 14 observed that among the children of men: “they are all alike corrupt; there is none that does good, no, not one.” (Ps 14:2) And Isaiah observes that even “our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” (Is 64:4). Do you get it. This was our state before Jesus, and our state apart from him. We had nothing we can bring to either earn salvation or to raise ourselves from moral death. It was only the pure mercy and grace of God that could set us free. It is a pure gift of God. 

OUR DELIVERANCE –  How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Notice that little word, “now.” Since Christ has come it is now possible for us be delivered. The text says we are “justified.” In St. Paul’s use of this word it is always more than some legal declaration, it is a relational justice. We are justified by baptism into Christ’s death and by being made a member of his Body. We enter into a life-changing transformative relationship with the Lord. The text says that Jesus accomplishes this “by his blood.” Jesus was obedient even unto death on a cross and his shed blood washes away our sins and restores us to the Father. The text adds further that we are saved from the “wrath.” The wrath is our experience of our inability to be in God’s presence in a sinful state. Jesus makes it possible for us endure the heat and light of God’s majesty! 

OUR DESTINY-  The text says, once reconciled, will we are saved by his life. We are called to life in the sense that Jesus’ life replaces our own. Increasingly through the work of Jesus’ saving grace our life is conformed to his. We begin to love and desire newer and better things; to Love what he loves and who he loves. We see our priorities and thoughts change. Note too that eternal life does not simply refer to the length of life, but to the fullness of life. In Jesus’ life we begin to live more fully, more richly as the days go by. One day in heaven we will experience this fully, but even now, our life begins to change.

Our Declaration –  Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Notice that our boast is in what God has done for us. Scripture says elsewhere:  This presupposes that we know what God has done for us  and are seeing our life changed. Do you notice? Are you excited about what the Lord is doing in your life?  Is there a joy and a peace within you?  Are you glad to be forgiven and reconciled?  Do you have a testimony to give? Do you boast of what God has done for you? Scripture says, Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15) Is there a hope in you that others can notice? 

Consider the testimony, the declaration of this song:

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