Grace and Peace to You

Homily for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

You might have recognized the last line of the second reading that was proclaimed this morning: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is one of the three options that are included in the Roman Missal for the opening greeting of the Mass. I try to use all the options that are available, but I have to admit that this is my favorite of the three.

Grace comes from the Latin word “gratis.” I suspect that you might already know that as we actually use the word in English. It literally means “free” as in “the first year of Netflix is yours gratis with the purchase of this TV.” Some expand the word to mean “free of charge.”

Is that what you think of when you hear the word “grace”? And what of peace? How does this part of the greeting strike you?

Grace and peace is a combination of Greek and Jewish greetings. Grace is a blessing or free gift; peace or “shalom” is a wish for good things. As part of St. Paul's standard greeting these words are an expression of faith, for they acknowledge that all good things come from God, whom Paul calls Father, and from Jesus, whom Paul calls Lord and Christ. In these short verses, Paul not only identifies himself as an apostle whom God has sent to the Gentiles, but he also outlines his Christology. He never uses Jesus’ personal name without also identifying him as Christ, the anointed one. As an aside, I might mention that someone contacted me by e-mail this week asking me about Jesus’ name. Christ is not a name; it is a title that was given to Jesus by people, like Paul, who believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Paul also professes that Jesus is the source of the sanctification and well-being of others. It will be from this basic assumption that Paul will address the Christian community of Corinth.

Paul situates his preaching of the Gospel within the Corinthian community. It is a different time than the time of Jesus; it is a different place and a different culture. Yet in a sense the message is the same because it is grounded in the life and teaching of Jesus. The challenge that Paul faces is the interpretation of the Gospel of Jesus for a new historical moment. He does not merely repeat what he has heard. Because of the sacredness of the present moment in Corinth, Paul interprets the message for their unique time and circumstances. We will be reading from this letter until the beginning of Lent; so it is important that we understand what Paul has set out to do through this letter.

Like Paul, we too have been called to be apostles. Like Paul we are challenged to interpret the Gospel in the light of our times and circumstances. The Gospel is not some set code of laws or expected behaviors. It is a living message that must be applied to each person’s situation, mindful of the fact that Jesus is present in our midst. Yes, we read the Gospels with a view to understanding the events of his life. We do that in order to discover the meaning of the events in our lives. The past events of Jesus’ life are reinterpreted in the ongoing present. Discipleship is never a static reality. It is an ongoing quest to live a holy life in obedience to the will of God. Grace and peace are the foundations of that holy life.

Because Jesus is the source of our sanctification and well-being, Paul points us toward Jesus just as John points toward him in the words of the Gospel today. Jesus is the Lamb of God. He is also the servant of God whom we hear speaking in the words from Isaiah. Just as Paul’s apostleship moved the servant ministry of Jesus forward into the Gentile world, it is now our turn to step into the role of servant to unite peoples who have been torn apart, to bring new life to those on the brink of despair, to be a light in the midst of the darkness that surrounds us. There are situations in our very ordinary lives to which we can bring the saving grace and peace of God. In this way, we like John can testify that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ who has saved the world.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M.