sussidio November 2020

   “Justice and justification”

From the WORD of GOD

God’s saving justice was witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, but now it has been revealed altogether apart from law: 22 God’s saving justice given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. 23 No distinction is made: all have sinned and lack God’s glory,24 and all are justified by the free gift of his grace through being set free in Christ Jesus.(Rm 3: 21-24)
15 What is the implication? That we are free to sin, now that we are not under law but under grace? Out of the question!16 You know well that if you undertake to be somebody’s slave and obey him, you are the slave of him you obey: you can be the slave either of sin which leads to death, or of obedience which leads to saving justice. 17 Once you were slaves of sin, but thank God you have given whole-hearted obedience to the pattern of teaching to which you were introduced;18 and so, being freed from serving sin, you took uprightness as your master.
19 I am putting it in human terms because you are still weak human beings: as once you surrendered yourselves as servants to immorality and to a lawlessness which results in more lawlessness, now you have to surrender yourselves to uprightness which is to result in sanctification.(Rm 6:15-19)

From the DOCUMENTS of the CHURCH
The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus’ proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. “Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man. (n. 1989)
Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God’s merciful initiative of offering forgiveness. It reconciles man with God. It frees from the enslavement to sin, and it heals. (n. 1990)
Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or “justice”) here means the rectitude of divine love. With justification, faith, hope, and charity are poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine will is granted us. (n 1991) (Catechism of the Catholic Church)
Still, some Christians insist on taking another path, that of justification by their own efforts, the worship of the human will and their own abilities. The result is a self-centred and elitist complacency, bereft of true love. This finds expression in a variety of apparently unconnected ways of thinking and acting: an obsession with the law, an absorption with social and political advantages, a punctilious concern for the Church’s liturgy, doctrine and prestige, a vanity about the ability to manage practical matters, and an excessive concern with programmes of self-help and personal fulfilment. Some Christians spend their time and energy on these things, rather than letting themselves be led by the Spirit in the way of love, rather than being passionate about communicating the beauty and the joy of the Gospel and seeking out the lost among the immense crowds that thirst for Christ. (n.57)
(Apostolic Exhortation “Gaudete et Exultate”, of the Holy Father Francis)

From the WRITINGS of Blessed A. ROSMINI

In order that the grace of God, which goes before us, may work without ceasing for an increase of holiness in ourselves and our neighbour, we must take constant care to correct our spirit through continual purification. The goodness of God comes to dwell infinitely in the person in whom there is no impediment of sin. (CIC 474)
Each one, therefore, should walk perfectly in the sight of God, and sincerely endeavour to purify himself from every stain in the unending struggle for purification. (CIC 475)
Perfect justice is the work of God. It is our good, our light, our life, such that every time we acquire the slightest increase in it, our hunger for it increases a thousand fold. For it is an inexhaustible joy which makes us happy but does not satiate us; it shows itself to be infinitely precious to our soul, yet it is still totally hidden from us, far from our gaze. Who can lead us to it? Who can bring it to us? Our own power is non-existent; our own will is blind. But we can be led to his righteousness by the infinite God who possesses it completely and essentially, and who can make it available to us. Let us then pray with even greater earnestness and desire: ‘Lord lead me in the way of your righteousness’.
(A.L .Vol. III, , let.142, p.179, to Don Luigi Gentili at Domodossola, Stresa 8May 1840; translated and edited by John Morris IC )
Blessed be the Lord, who is goodness itself, and who communicates himself to those who turn to him, those whom he has created for this ineffable communion. Certainly,‘ He who has begun a good work will perfect it.— And anyone who ponders well on what I am saying will have the answer to the difficulty you touch on, over reaching the summit of perfection. If this were simply our doing, it would be hopeless. But it is the work of God, since perfection is nothing else than the communication of the Creator to the creature; and so the creature, marvelling to himself, and as if unable to explain such a prodigy, exclaims: ‘I can do all things in him who gives me strength’. Here we hear the great teaching of St Paul, who declares that justification is not from our works, as if it came from ourselves, but through faith, that is, through trust in our merciful God… faith in the omnipotence of divine goodness through which man, who feels himself to be nothing, hopes for all things; man, who feels himself incapable of perfection, but knows at the same time that God, who calls him to perfection, will also lead him to it…
I am certain that if you rely on God’s grace he will carry you forward. (A.L .Vol. III, let.29, p. 40-42, to the Marchese Gustavo Benso di Cavour in Turin, Domodossola, 6 September 1837; translated and edited by John Morris IC)

LET US PRAY

Lord God, strength of those who hope in you, support us in our prayer: because we are weak and can do nothing without you, give us always the help of your grace so that we may please you in all we desire and do. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Sunday 11 of the year)

PASTORAL YEAR 2020 – 2021; ON-GOING FORMATION
INST. OF CHARITY – ROSMINIAN SISTERS OF PROVID.

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