LIVING NATURALLY OR SUPERNATURALLY?

We tend to:

• be selfish,
• cut corners and do things the easy way,
• stay in our comfort zones,
• be lax and permissive,
• look for loopholes,
• take the path of least resistance, and
• do the minimum.

Jesus tells us to:

• obey carefully (Dt 4:6) and earnestly (Dt 4:9),
• not swerve to the right or left in obeying Him (Dt 5:32),
• obey the letter of the law and the smallest part of a letter of the law (Mt 5:18),
• go beyond the letter of the law (see 2 Cor 3:6),
• deny ourselves and take up the cross daily (Lk 9:23),
• die to ourselves (see Jn 12:24),
• lay down our lives for Him and His Church (Eph 5:25; 1 Jn 3:16), and
• love Him with all our hearts, all our souls, all our strength and all our minds (Lk 10:27; Dt 6:5).

Are we living in the selfish mediocrity of our old, fallen nature or in the love, grace, and truth of our new life in Christ? Choose to live the new life you received in Baptism. Prepare to renew your baptismal promises at Easter Vigil or on Easter Sunday.