Morning Message: June 3

St. Paul wrote many letters to the early Christian communities.  He wanted to help them understand how Jesus revealed God’s love and unites us to God through his Holy Spirit.

A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.  If God is for us, who is against us?  Who is to condemn?  It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who intercedes for us.   Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Think about this silently in your heart.  How do you understand St. Paul’s words that all things will work together for the good, if we love God?

What is the good that all things are working together for? To make us like Jesus. To be conformed to the image of His Son. This much beloved passage celebrates that God is always present and always willing to help in our hour of need that, if God is for us, it really doesn’t matter who is against us —and that there is no power strong enough or circumstance dire enough to separate us from the love of God.  There is no higher good than to be like the Lord Jesus Christ.

Though we Christians go through all sorts of struggles and persecutions now, God is still in charge.  Nothing can turn away his intense love for us.  And on the Last Day when we stand before his throne we will hear his final word of pardon and feel the embrace of his love.

Holy God, strengthen our faith.  Let us never be separated from you.  We pray in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Amen.