SAINT DENIS, BISHOP, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

It is those who have faith who are children of Abraham. 

In a perfect family, children would have total confidence in their parents’ love. Of course, we know that there is no perfect family—except for the Holy Family—and some families fall far short of the ideal. Abusive parents, broken marriages, violent environments—these can make children suspicious of the people who truly are trying to love them. They’ve been hurt in the past, so they’ve learned to be wary: I hear you saying you love me, but how can I be sure? Some of them think that love can never be given freely, that they have to do something to earn it instead.

Something similar seemed to be going on with the Christians in Galatia. St. Paul had preached the good news of God’s salvation and unconditional love to them, and their lives had been changed dramatically by the Holy Spirit. But despite all that, they began to believe that the Jewish rite of circumcision was a criterion for belonging to Christ (Galatians 3:2-3). This concerned Paul. They had received the free gift of salvation and new life in the Holy Spirit, but they were now making circumcision a condition, a block in the way of receiving God’s love.

Although we don’t look to circumcision to make us children of God, we can be skeptical of God’s free gift of love in other ways. We’re tempted to believe that he has placed conditions on his love and grace: God will only love me after I’ve fixed myself. God is probably disappointed with me and won’t answer my prayers. These “requirements” reveal our doubt that God could really love us.

Paul wanted the Galatians to accept God’s unconditional love for them. He wanted them to understand that God’s love is not based on circumcision, moral perfection, or any other requirements. God just loves us, and he asks us to respond by putting our faith in him.

Imagine the freedom and relief we could all feel if we were convinced that we didn’t need to win God over. We don’t need to earn his love. He loved us before we were even born.

Through this saving love, God has made you his son or daughter. There is no catch.

“Lord, thank you for your unconditional love for me!”

Psalm 111:1-6
Luke 11:15-26