Second Sunday after Epiphany AD 2024

St. Paul writes in today's Epistle about the gifts of God that He shares with us by His grace, naming prophecy, faith, ministry, teaching, exhortation and caring for one another in brotherly love. In the middle of the Epistle are the words: “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good,” and at the very end: “Mind not high things but condescend to men of low estate.”

There is no need to discuss at length what is good and what is evil. Yes, there are undoubtedly situations in which everything is not unequivocally clear, but for the most part we know quite well what is right and what is wrong, what is just and what is unjust. Or rather: we know it when we are ready to listen and follow both our own conscience and God’s will, which He reveals to us through His Word and His Church.

If one follows the Law of God as well as natural law, using the reason given to him by God, then he is able to choose the right path. The question is whether he is able walk this path – certainly not by his own strength, but only with the help of God’s grace. In any case, God has given us reason and expects from us reasonable service, as St. Paul writes.

The French poet Paul Bourget has said that “we must live as we think, otherwise we shall end up by thinking as we have lived”. This means that we must direct our lives according to what we have recognized to be good and right, and not shape our thinking, our beliefs, our principles according to how we have lived, following our animal instincts and lusts.

Today’s Epistle shows us, among other things, that humility is worth more than to “mind high things”. This doesn’t mean that we should not strive for higher things, both spiritually, morally, and intellectually. This means that we must be realists and know who we are, so that, with the help of God’s grace, we may become who we really could be. That we could once hear God say to us as He says to Jesus in today’s Gospel: “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”