Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin

 Lectionary: 413

...that I may gain Christ and be found in him,
not having any righteousness of my own based on the law
but that which comes through faith in Christ,
the righteousness from God....

Saint Peter makes a bold declaration in today's gospel, and then asks a reasonable question, "We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?”

One thing he might expect is an assurance of righteousness based on the law. But that will not be given. As Saint Paul insisted, "a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ." Not even their giving up everything -- wives, homes, family, careers, property, etc -- counts for righteousness if they have no faith. 

Nor, for that matter, is an assurance based on a feeling of assurance. That I feel assured is no assurance! If "love is not a feeling," as our high school catechists told us many, many times, neither is faith.  

Salvation is neither felt, nor deserved, nor won. It is given by our God who gives us everything and owes us nothing. And so we live by His promise of more yet to come, which must include our salvation:

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees?

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. (Romans 8: 24-25)

The Gospels consistently urge us to feel the urgency of the choice that remains before us at every moment of every day. No one should dare to say, "Tomorrow I will repent." 

I have heard people say, "I'll quit smoking..." -- drinking, grasping after money, or lusting for sex -- "tomorrow." 

When I hear that I know they have no intention of quitting. Tomorrow never comes; and the word in their mouths means never. 

The choice of trusting the Lord, following as his disciple, and taking up the cross is always immediate. Neither yesterday nor tomorrow means anything. It must be Now.