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God’s Rights?

In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus says “‘If you love me, you will keep My Commandments’” (Jn 14:15). For many today, the idea of following God’s commandments is considered old-fashioned, repressed, and passé; only rigid and closed-minded people keep God’s commandments. With all of the narratives we hear on the news and in different forms of media, we are constantly being told to make sure that everyone respects our rights, our freedom to do whatever we want, our space, etc. But do we ever stop to ask ourselves: What are God’s rights? And what is due to Him? He, after all, created us; we would not exist or even have the ability to do or enjoy anything without Him. So what about what Our Loving Creator deserves and is owed by us in gratitude?

The Ten Commandments, the Great Commandment, and all that Jesus teaches us is not only for our own good and well-being, it is for the sake of respecting God’s rights as Our Lord and Creator. As Jesus tells us, to follow His Commandments is to love Him.

When we follow the Ten Commandments, we think, say, and do what is owed to God—we show Him that we trust that He loves us and that He knows and wants what is best for us. We give God His due.

So, in a time and world where it seems to be increasingly unfashionable and unpopular to follow the Commandments, let us strive to do what Jesus asks because we trust and believe that God knows better than us. Let us do what He commands as an expression of our love and gratitude. And let us follow His teaching because, if we do so, it rightly orders our lives and properly disposes our hearts and souls to receive the Holy Spirit and all of His astounding gifts—the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord, peace, faith, hope, and true joy. How desperately we need these gifts in our day and age! And how ready God is to pour them out upon us in abundance!

Yours in Christ,
Father Arthur

Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter: Lectionary 55