Saint Paul exhorted the Ephesians: “you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.”
From Exodus we were reminded of the grumbling of the Israelites who when liberated from their slavery so easily desired to return to it. The answer to their grumbling came in the form of the manna that came down from Heaven. This Heavenly food gave them the strength to continue to move forward with their sight set upon the Promised Land.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that we are to be “incorporated into Christ by Baptism, Christians are “dead to sin and alive to God Christ Jesus” and so participate in the life of the Risen Lord. Following Christ and united with him, Christians can strive to be “imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love” by conforming their thoughts, words and action to the “mind… which is yours in Christ Jesus,” and by following his example.”
Therefore, we too are being called upon to put away the old self and thus enter into a constant sense of renewal. Through our baptism we were claimed for Christ and now through the rest of our life we are called upon to continue to strive to live our life for Him. Thankfully none of us have to do this alone for the Lord has given us the gift of the Eucharist and of the other sacraments. The sacraments are such important gifts for they impart grace upon the receiver. Grace which is a gift that only God can give.
We are thus being called upon to live our life for Christ. If we are to live for Christ we must also be imitators of Him. Nevertheless, in our world we can think of the many voices which attempt to win us over. Before we know it we may be moving away from Him and towards that life which we once knew before our baptism. As the Lord stated to those gathered around Him: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.”
This is an invitation that has been extended to each of us. Let us not continue to live for the world, but rather enter into the world to live for Christ. In Christ alone will we be able to find our fulfillment. We do not follow after Christ because of fear, but rather because we are in love with Him and thus desire to follow wherever it may be that He leads. When our emotions and passions attempt to move us towards evil we must come to reject our old self in order that we may live for Christ.
Let us live for Christ always!
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