Paul must address Christians strongly about the transition between living under the yoke of the Law, and living under the yoke of grace. The Law says that we must not sin, and that the punishment due the sinner is eternal and without remedy. Certainly there remains hope in God’s mercy even under the Law, but one’s life is spent relentlessly attempting to correct one’s behavior so as to maintain some sort of peace of mind that all is not lost. Grace, which we receive by faith in Jesus – His passion, death and resurrection – progressively heals us of our attempts to save ourselves. Sin gradually disappears from our lives by the grace of God and not because we try harder not to sin. Grace is not just the help of salvation, but it is more importantly a growing relationship of intimacy with our Creator and Redeemer. Grace allows us to love and cling to God more than we worry about ourselves and try to stand on our own two feet.
Tuesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Galatians 1:16b (ACCS Ga-Php): Ambrosiaster: When he had faith in the law, not knowing that it was not the time for observance of the law, and was intensely striving to resist the gospel of Christ, he thought that he acted by God’s will. God, seeing that his zeal was good, though he lacked knowledge, chose to summon him into his grace. He knew that this man was suitable to preach his gospel to the Gentiles. For if he was so swift and faithful in so poor a cause through boldness of conscience, not through adulation of anyone, how much more constant would he be in preaching the gift of God through the hope of the promised reward? Epistle to the Galatians 1.15.1.
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
The ability Adam has to name the animals in the world around him is symbolic of his ability to name and understand the different movements of the life within him. Man’s inner animals – his passions, emotions, feelings, sensations, etc. – must be named and understood in order for him to gain dominion over them. St. Augustine says that although it is easy for a man to realize that he is better equipped than the other animals because of his reason, it is hard for him to distinguish clearly between his reason and his inner animals.