Living in Christ through love & conviction
Allowing that love to be the driving force behind all we do
“What did he desire but that we should become like him? ‘That those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.’ How powerful a consequence is this in the matter of love! Jesus Christ died for us; by his death he has given us life; we only live because he died; he died for us, by us, and in us; our life then is no longer ours” (St Francis de Sales).
Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
Song of Songs 3:1-4b
John 20:1-2, 11-18
In today’s 1st Reading from 2 Corinthians, we find that word “Conviction” that I spoke about a few weeks ago. Now we get a lesson by example from St Paul, who is passionately sharing the message of reconciliation and redemption through Christ. His words are filled with conviction and love as he explains how the old self is gone, and a new creation has come through faith in Jesus Christ. We find him preaching similar messages of dying to self a mystical death in Rom 6:1-11; 14:7-9; Gal 2:19-20; and 2 Tim 2:11. Verse17 of today’s reading sums it up, “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”
St Francis de Sales has this to say, reflecting on this reading, “I seem to hear the voice of the Apostle like a peal of thunder startling our heart: It is easy to see, Christians what Christ desired by dying for us. What did he desire but that we should become like him? ‘That those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.’ How powerful a consequence is this in the matter of love! Jesus Christ died for us; by his death he has given us life; we only live because he died; he died for us, by us, and in us; our life then is no longer ours, but belongs to him who has purchased it for us by his death: we are therefore no more to live to ourselves but to him; not in ourselves but in him; nor for ourselves but for him” (Treatise on the Love of God, book 7, chap. 8).
Living a life in Christ and for Christ requires being transformed by His love and allowing that love to be the driving force behind all we do. Christ’s love compels us to no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose again for us. This means we no longer see ourselves or others from a worldly point of view, but through the lens of love and grace. As St Paul says, “once we have come to the conviction”, we embrace this new perspective and are drawn to live a life that is aligned with Christ’s teachings and example.
When we allow Christ’s love to transform us, we become new creations. The old has passed away, and the new has come. This transformation extends to every aspect of our lives, influencing our thoughts, actions, and interactions with others. We, as new creations in Christ, are called to live out this truth by displaying His love, forgiveness, and compassion to those around us. Our lives become a testimony to the power of God’s love to change hearts and bring about transformation.
Living a life in Christ also involves letting go of our old ways of living and embracing the values and virtues that are pleasing to God. This includes seeking reconciliation, practicing forgiveness, demonstrating humility, and surrendering to God’s will. Our lives become a reflection of His character, drawing others to Him through our words and actions as we continuously seek to grow in our relationship with Christ and allow His love to shape us.
Tuesday was the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene a person like St Paul who experienced a radical conversion that lead to an enviable love and conviction for Jesus. The story unfolds much as we would , expect, Mary was grieving after all that had happened with the arrest, scourging, crucifixion and death of Jesus, whom by the way she had remained faithful to, even being present at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ mother Mary.
Everything in the story is as expected until she doesn’t recognize Jesus in his resurrected, Glorified Body, that is something none of us have experienced but will. She did recognize his voice. From Jesus’ dialogue with Mary Magdalene, we can see the frame of mind all his disciples must have been in: they were not expecting the Resurrection.
The Magnificat quotes Sister Miriam of the Holy Spirit, OCD:
One can surmise she (Mary Magdalene) went to Calvary
distraught and weeping, and with loud lament
clung to the cross and beat upon its wood
till Christ’s torn veins spread a soft covering
over her hair and face, and a colored gown.
She took her First Communion in his Blood.
That is the definition of love and conviction! The Apostles, except for John did not display the conviction that Mary Magdalene did for fear of being killed with Jesus. Later, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, and for the rest of their life, we know they did display a love and conviction that eventually led each to their martyrdom.
The verse where Jesus says to Mary, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father,” seems a little harsh. Scholars indicate that our Lord is telling Mary to release her hold on him, to let him go, since she will have another chance to see him before his Ascension into heaven, thus preparing her and the disciples for his Ascension.
Psalm 63 is attributed to King David, who is believed to have written it during a time of great distress and danger. Some scholars suggest that the psalm was written during David's exile from Jerusalem, when he was fleeing from his son Absalom. Others believe that it was written during David's time in the wilderness, when he was hiding from King Saul. Regardless of the specific historical context, it is clear that Psalm 63 was written during a time of intense personal struggle and longing for God's help.
Whatever the circumstances were, it does display David’s love and conviction for God. David begins by expressing his thirst for God, possibly comparing his surroundings in the desert to describe his physical and spiritual need for God's presence. He then goes on to express his confidence in God's protection and praises God, placing his trust in him. All three, St Paul, St Mary Magdalene, and King David display living in Christ through Love and Conviction.