Figura futuri | A pattern of the one

“Adam is a pattern of the one to come” (Romans 5:14).

Who, then, is man? What is the true dignity of the human person? We may often feel our weakness and fragility. Yet, through divine grace, we are children of God, created in His image and likeness. This is a profound truth that should shape our understanding of ourselves and our purpose.

Like Adam, we are all subject to sin. We are, indeed, children of Adam, inheriting the consequences of his fall. However, we must never despair. As St. Paul also reminds us, 'where sin increased, grace increased all the more' (Romans 5:20). This is the heart of the Gospel: the boundless mercy of God, always offering us hope for holiness and chastity.

The season of Lent is a sacred time, a time for introspection and conversion. It calls us to examine our hearts and to turn away from sin. It is a time for personal transformation. We are called to change our ways of thinking, our attitudes, and our actions. This conversion, this turning back to God, is the most powerful solution to the conflicts that plague our world, our societies, our families, and our communities.

We are not alone in this journey. Jesus Christ is with us, always. Through our obedience and good example, as St. Paul says, 'many can be made righteous' (Romans 5:19). This echoes the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states that "Christ's redemption won for us a new possibility: that of living in the Spirit of his love (CCC 1741)."

Do not be discouraged by past failures. Do not say, 'I have tried and failed.' Perhaps this very moment is your moment of grace. The grace of God desires to reign through you, in the world, in your family, and in your community. Jesus Christ desires to live through you in this present time.

We know that sin will always be present in the world. But the grace of God is infinitely more powerful. As St. Paul writes in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Though we may experience the death of sin, we can also experience the resurrection of grace. This victory is not achieved through our own strength or wisdom, but through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As Pope Francis has reminded us, “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.” Let us, therefore, embrace God’s mercy, allow His grace to transform us, and become instruments of His love in the world. Amen.

Reflection on Rom 5:12 – 21 by Józef.

(Listen to podcast here)

Time Dominum (Prov. 3:7)

 

The fall of man into sin in the garden of Eden led to the difficulties of life that humans must face. A life that is comfortable and happy, a life that does not have difficulties, fights, and misery provided by God is not successfully maintained by Adam and Eve, so that humans and his descendants have to work very hard, compete with others in their lives, and sometimes have to do efforts in their life that can lead them to complicated, complex, and contentious problems. Even so, God still promises and provides a way of salvation for humans. God has given Jesus Christ as a path of truth and perfect life not limited to earthly life. Thus we can achieve the eternal and heavenly life, the kind of life which God had offered to Adam and Eve before the serpent came to tempt Eve in the garden. 

God comes again through Christ with His laws and statutes as the center of Christian teaching which is based on love. The opportunity to follow the laws and statutes is still open for those who want to accept Christ and fulfill His laws and statutes which means loving God and fellow humans like yourself.

Typically humans born from the sin are attracted by earthly wealth but at the same time they look for the eternal salvation. The traits are alive in every human being and often competes. When they are competing, a choice should be made. It is easy to choose from the two things: peacefulness on the earth or rather peacefulness in the eternal Kingdom which was promised by God through His Son Jesus Christ. The definite and ideal answer is the second one, which is the eternal salvation. 

God's decision is to offer the gift of salvation. He does not want to destroy humans even though they have fallen into sin. God still gives humans the freedom to enjoy life in the world. However, this life must be led in accordance with the wisdom from the Scriptures. It definitely leads people to salvation.

By Ceisy Nita Wuntu.