A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right
It's early Sunday morning and I'm staring at a fuzzy image of an "old man" in the bathroom mirror. Fuzzy because my morning vision hasn't quite sharpened yet. But it sure does look like that old man nevertheless.
But it seems this old man I'm seeing isn't so much up there in years. It's that guy we hear about from St. Paul. He talks about him more than once, but here's what he says in Ephesians:
To put off, according to former conversation, the old man, who is corrupted according to the desire of error. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind: And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.
Sheesh, is that really that old man in the mirror? I thought I swore off that guy? But, no, I'm pretty sure it's him staring back at me. (That morning vision's getting sharper.) Then again, maybe just swearing off that guy isn't enough. If I get rid of him, then what? Oh, right, St. Paul makes that pretty clear:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. (2 Cor. 5:17)
So that's it! He's still there because Christ isn't "here." I mean, He's here in me, of course. Right? Yes, God dwells in all of us, as long as we're in a state of grace. But I guess what's going on here is: I'm not in Him. Isn't that what St. Paul's saying, that we're a new creature if we're in Christ? So what's up with that?
Maybe it's this: The old guy's able to hang on because I won't let him go. There's too much about that old guy that still somehow seems or feels attractive in some way. What is it? St. Paul give us some idea in Ephesians 4: 25-32:
Putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands (the thing which is good), that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good for the edification of faith, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: but be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ hath forgiven you.
For sure, this list could be expanded. But let's not get into that now. If it's not one thing, it's another. Our fallen human nature sees to that. It keeps us chained to that old self, no matter how hard we try to free ourselves. At least that's the way it seems. So why be surprised that the old guy's still there? (Yep, it's him. My vision's sharp as a tack now.)
Okay, what to do now? Give up?
Nah. Hey, it's Sunday. I've got more time than I usually have carved out to think about and pray about stuff like this. So that's what I'll do. Pray. Ask for the grace to put off that old man and become that new man in Christ. After all, left to my own devices, I really can't do anything. It's only with God's grace that anything I think, or say, or do can be transformed from something ruled by the world, the flesh, and the devil into something holy. And since I know He's in me, right here, right now, I know He'll give me all the help I need to be holy - not so I can be better than anyone else, but so I can grow closer to Him.
Yes. that's it. Sunday, our day of rest, will provide the respite I need to beg the graces to grow closer to Him. That's what I can do.
So, "Good morning, old man!" Can't say I'm happy to see you. But that's not your fault. Just don't be surprised if some day I look into that mirror and you're not there anymore.
By the grace of God!
But it seems this old man I'm seeing isn't so much up there in years. It's that guy we hear about from St. Paul. He talks about him more than once, but here's what he says in Ephesians:
To put off, according to former conversation, the old man, who is corrupted according to the desire of error. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind: And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.
Sheesh, is that really that old man in the mirror? I thought I swore off that guy? But, no, I'm pretty sure it's him staring back at me. (That morning vision's getting sharper.) Then again, maybe just swearing off that guy isn't enough. If I get rid of him, then what? Oh, right, St. Paul makes that pretty clear:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. (2 Cor. 5:17)
So that's it! He's still there because Christ isn't "here." I mean, He's here in me, of course. Right? Yes, God dwells in all of us, as long as we're in a state of grace. But I guess what's going on here is: I'm not in Him. Isn't that what St. Paul's saying, that we're a new creature if we're in Christ? So what's up with that?
Maybe it's this: The old guy's able to hang on because I won't let him go. There's too much about that old guy that still somehow seems or feels attractive in some way. What is it? St. Paul give us some idea in Ephesians 4: 25-32:
Putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands (the thing which is good), that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good for the edification of faith, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: but be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ hath forgiven you.
For sure, this list could be expanded. But let's not get into that now. If it's not one thing, it's another. Our fallen human nature sees to that. It keeps us chained to that old self, no matter how hard we try to free ourselves. At least that's the way it seems. So why be surprised that the old guy's still there? (Yep, it's him. My vision's sharp as a tack now.)
Okay, what to do now? Give up?
Nah. Hey, it's Sunday. I've got more time than I usually have carved out to think about and pray about stuff like this. So that's what I'll do. Pray. Ask for the grace to put off that old man and become that new man in Christ. After all, left to my own devices, I really can't do anything. It's only with God's grace that anything I think, or say, or do can be transformed from something ruled by the world, the flesh, and the devil into something holy. And since I know He's in me, right here, right now, I know He'll give me all the help I need to be holy - not so I can be better than anyone else, but so I can grow closer to Him.
Yes. that's it. Sunday, our day of rest, will provide the respite I need to beg the graces to grow closer to Him. That's what I can do.
So, "Good morning, old man!" Can't say I'm happy to see you. But that's not your fault. Just don't be surprised if some day I look into that mirror and you're not there anymore.
By the grace of God!
Happy Sunday!
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