Flesh, slavery, and fear

Isn’t ironic?

Those who relish a life of fleshy pleasures are actually locking themselves into a downward spiral into dusty death.

Those who consider themselves free of moral constraints are instead enslaved to their impulses, whims, and desires.

And those who say they do not fear God or anything else are desperately afraid of many things they try to ignore.

In the face of these ironies and all the many challenges of this world, the words of St. Paul in today’s first reading (Romans 8:12-17) truly are words to live by.

We are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.

For if you live according to the flesh,
you will die,
but if by the spirit
you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God
are sons of God.

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery
to fall back into fear,
but you received a spirit of adoption,
through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.