Instruments of God’s Grace | Sunday Reflection | 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The three readings of this Sunday should provoke the question within us; Am I an instrument of God’s grace or not? There are several ways to evaluate this question as to come up with a sincere answer. One of the ways that I will propose to us is from the Baltimore Catechism that reminds us of the reason for our existence. It asks, Why did God make me? “God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.” God created you and me so that we might possess Him forever in the heavenly beatific vision. That being the ultimate reason and goal of our existence, it makes all the sense that every other thing that we do should point to this reason for our existence as well as aiding our fellow brothers and sisters realize that reason and goal for their existence. Doing so means that we will answer that question in the affirmative, I am an instrument of God’s grace, or at least beseech Him to make me an instrument of His grace.

Joshua in the First Reading and John in the Gospel were quickly corrected to answer this question in the affirmative. They learned that as much as they seek to live out the goal of their existence, they too are obligated to aid others do so, even those not in their circle. When Joshua begs Moses to stop Eldad and Medad, Moses says to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!” When John reports to Jesus that he and others tried to stop someone driving out demons in Jesus’s name “because he does not follow us,” Jesus replies to him, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” By this, Jesus shows an extraordinary tolerance and magnanimity in allowing a ‘strange exorcist’ to drive out demons in His name, and even promises a reward for such persons who in actuality are being instruments of God by assisting other people who are God’s instrument. Being an instrument of God transcends any circle, creed, group, language, race, tongue, color, status. In fact, it cuts across of all these and finds a way to peaceful bring down any walls or barriers that might be. It makes one an agent of peace and unity. Am I an instrument of God’s peace, unity and grace? All these sum up the first part of that answer from the Baltimore Catechism of knowing, loving and serving God in this world.

Being an instrument of God is not only in the aspect of doing God’s work and helping others in their efforts of doing the work of God in this world, but it also involves seeking greater self-perfection by avoiding whatever that can prevent us from being happy with God forever in heaven, the last part of the answer from the Catechism. If your hand causes you to sin, if your foot causes you to sin, if your eye causes you to sin, do away with them, for it is better to enter the kingdom of God without them. These are very serious injunctions. Now, Jesus is not telling us to go on mutilating or dismembering ourselves in a literal sense. But He is letting us know how much value we should place in seeking for the perfection of our souls and not be wrapped up in seeking human favors that often lead us to evils, no matter the degree and gravity.

In order to be an instrument of God, we should be ready to make those difficult decisions that could entail serious mortifications, abstinence and discipline. In the face of a moral dilemma, should I speak the truth at the cost of losing some friendships, should I speak up for the oppressed and marginalized risking favors, should I offer a prayer before meal with a group of friends in a restaurant at the cost of ridicule, should I correct a friend who is about to yield to peer pressure knowing that others would be mad at me for a long time, should I cut down on my use of social media knowing that it might raise my fear of missing out? And several other everyday dilemmas. Some of these are considered our wealth, our treasures. We treasure friendships and connections, and human love and affection, but sometimes these “treasures” could compound our miseries and be a testimony against us, as the Second Reading says. Holding on to these treasures or choosing to preserve them might cost the intervention and correction that could save someone else. They could actually cost us the better treasure, namely heaven.

The tiny voice of conscience and of our guardian angel is always there to tell us what is the right thing to do, but due to concupiscence, we find ourselves cutting out the good voice. Today’s Gospel is calling on us to instead, with the help and grace of God, cut out those manifestations of concupiscence, for it is better to forego those momentary and ephemeral pleasures for the sake of the kingdom of God, for the sake of being an instrument of God’s grace.

As we ask God to make us instruments of His grace, we pray as in the collect this Sunday, that He bestow His grace abundantly upon us as to make us heirs to the treasures of heaven and His instruments here on earth. We also call upon our guardian angel praying; Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day, be at my side to light and to guard, to rule and to guide me, Amen!