God chose us in Christ before the world was made
Often we think of saints as exceptionally perfect people who have gone through life loving and serving God in a way that is beyond us. In today’s first reading, Paul reminds us of what we often forget amidst the challenges of daily life, and because of our constant struggle with sin and frequent failure. We are all destined to be saints, and Paul further explains what this means.
God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. He blessed us with every spiritual blessing from the heavens. He destined us to be his adopted children. He has redeemed us by the blood of Christ. He has granted us the means for the forgiveness of our sins. This is a cause of great joy and gratitude to God. It should be a constant reminder against the challenges which pull us down and make us forget our dignity and destiny.
Against this great news of the immensity of our vocation, we can understand Jesus' anger and frustration expressed in today's gospel in which he heaps woes on the Pharisees who frustrate God’s plan for themselves and for the people they lead. They hold the keys to heaven, not entering themselves and preventing others from entering.
We responded to this message with Psalm 98, saying that the Lord has made known his salvation. Because of this we should sing with joy to the Lord and even sing a new song to him. “Singing a new song to the Lord” is a phrase frequently used in the scriptures. It does not so much refer to composition of actual songs, for not all of us can do that. Rather, it means that our life becomes a new song to the Lord, when it undergoes a paradigm shift, focusing not on ourselves but on God. When we respond fully to God's great invitation, we sing God a new song.
