Vatican City
"Praying on Galations 3 (second reading of Common of BVM in Off of Readings), it struck me that one of Satan's ploys in getting Luther to seize on justification by faith alone to the detriment of works is to get the Church herself out of balance. In recoiling from Luther's emphasis, I think the Catholic faithful haven't fully appreciated the Gift, the free Gift, of salvation we have in Christ. Through simple faith in Him and not in anything we have done.
"People are hungry for their rightful freedom from the Law of Death ('I can't be one with God until I never sin again.') and for their place as His beloved children. It's not a case of either faith or works, of course, that's a false dichotomy.
"I too need a constant bathing, baptism in this liberating truth. We must preach this truth of a personal encounter with Jesus through repentance. The Charismatic Renewal has this powerful gift to offer but it is the rightful patrimony of every Catholic. **God's perfect agape casts out all fear because nothing can separate us from Him who has given His own Son for our ransom.**
"Later:
The prayers of the Mass, beginning with the Collect and moving through the Canon and Communion, verily shouted a confirmation of the grace I received this morning...His free gift of forgiveness, salvation and sonship. I take it as a special gift from Mary on her feastday today !
"It also crossed my mind after Communion that this could be a thesis topic: The relative effects on spirituality, prayer and faith life of a life lived in the lively awareness of the gratuitousness of God's saving love as opposed to a more 'I've got to do this' approach. Peter sinking after taking his eyes off Christ in today's Gospel is a good example of this."
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