In one sense it is a concidence that the Church is having us read from 2 Corinthians and the Gospel of Matthew for the next for weeks. On the other hand there might be a special providence where the two readings serve as a commentary on each other. Yesterday St. Paul talked about encouragement and Jesus in the gospel about blessing — both aspects of the Christian life that reinforce each other. Today St. Paul tells us that God has given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment. Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth and the light to the world. The reason we can be a light is not because of how wonderful we are but because we have the Holy Spirit as kind of a down payment of God’s ongoing gifts. Our good deeds are not ours but the fruit of the Holy Spirit who transforms the likes of us into carriers of grace.
JUNE132023
By Church Staff
