Optional Memorial of Saint Callistus I, Pope and Martyr

Pope Saint Callistus
Patron Saint of Cemeteries

Lectionary: 468

I am not ashamed of the Gospel.
It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:
for Jew first, and then Greek.
For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith;
as it is written, "The one who is righteous by faith will live."

As he begins his very important Epistle to the Romans Saint Paul's expression, "from faith to faith" means that God is faithful to those who are faithful. As he later writes to Saint Timothy, and we heard on Sunday,  

This saying is trustworthy:

If we have died with him

we shall also live with him;

if we persevere

we shall also reign with him.

But if we deny him

he will deny us.

If we are unfaithful

he remains faithful,

for he cannot deny himself.

Righteous people know the righteousness of God; they live by that principle and build their lives upon it as upon a solid foundation. As Psalm 103 says, 

"For as the heavens or high above the Earth, 

so strong is his love for those who fear him. 

When they speak, they speak the truth, for they cannot deny themselves. And  those who know God's people know they are as reliable as truth itself. 

This righteousness of God is the foundation of our lives, of everything we build, and of our hope for the future. While we engage in many projects and know that some of them are not terribly important, we do not forget the purpose and aim of our lives. We do everything in the name of Christ.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

In this Letter, Saint Paul will remind his Roman readers that the scandalous lives of the Roman emperors and their imperial stooges are not overlooked in God's kingdom: 

The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven

against every impiety and wickedness

of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

His readers should not doubt that the Day of Wrath will come. In our time, as we read of mass murders, gun violence, unjust wars, flouted adultery, epidemic abortions, and corruption in business, entertainment, sports, and government, we should not doubt the importance and weight of our integrity. It cannot be overlooked or ignored, though it might be denied. The harassment we face, and the systemic persecution that may come, announce our privileged status before the Majesty of God. 

In judo and karate, as I understand, students learn to get out of the way when their opponents fall. Let us remain standing when the mighty are laid low.