Thursday of week 29 in Ordinary Time
Saint John of Capistrano, Priest
Reading: Romans 6:19-23
Saint Paul reminds us that Christian life is the journey of true freedom, the freedom that comes not from doing whatever we please but from belonging wholly to God. “Now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God,” he writes, “the benefit you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life.” In Christ, freedom and service are not opposites but two sides of the same reality: we are liberated from the power of sin precisely so that we can live in love and holiness. This freedom transforms every choice into an act of faith, shaping our desires toward the good. The contrast is striking, sin pays its wages in death, but God gives life as a gift. Grace, then, is not just pardon; it is power, the power to live as God’s own, to grow in sanctity, and to anticipate eternal joy even now. Let’s reflect: Do I use my freedom to deepen my union with God and grow in holiness, or do I still allow sin to claim power over my heart and choices?
Don Giorgio