August 18 The Heart of St. Paul
When St. Paul speaks of his service of Jesus Christ, he talks as one who struggles to live out his faith. He does not see himself above his disciples, but companions with them in the faith, and he is trying to lead by example. Part of that leadership is admitting his weakness. He is far from the perfect Christian.
He writes to the Romans: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good that I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” (Rom 7: 15-16, 18-19) There is no law outside of himself that will force him to do the right thing. This goodness must come from within. Thus for St. Paul, it is not the Law that makes him to do good, but rather it is the action of the Holy Spirit working within him.
We too are faced with this challenge. We know the right thing to do, but it is sometimes hard for us to muster the power to do it. Different things may stop us: fear, laziness, lack of self-control, fatigue. The only power that can help us overcome our moral apathy is the Holy Spirit. With the many gifts of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us through faith in Jesus Christ, we are carried beyond our weaknesses and given the ability to act. This is a daily challenge for us. Every day we need to pray for the Holy Spirit to make us bold, give us confidence and trust to do the right thing not by the force of the law, but by the love of Jesus Christ and our neighbor. May God give us this gift every day, that we can overcome our spiritual apathy, and do what is just, right and holy for the love of Jesus Christ.
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