Today we hear a powerful message about grace. Our Christian faith is one of mystery; indeed, of many mysteries! Among these, I would consider grace to be a particularly puzzling one. In a world that values merit and bestows based on it, grace is pure gift. God grants his grace not based on any measure of deservedness. Rather, he offers it as pure gift, and why? God, it would seem, desires so strongly to be with us! Isn't this a mystery in and of itself? We hear in the first reading, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him... 

The Lord made us, we belong to him, says today's psalm. 

My wife and I just welcomed our fifth child at the end of September. Cecilia is her name. I have noticed every one of our children just beholding Cecilia, as my wife and I do. My wife and I desire so strongly for Cecilia (as with the rest of our children) to be cared for and to thrive. And why? Well, we made them. They belong to us. We want them to be with us. Could this possibly resemble the cradle of God's grace for us? 

We are made in God's image and likeness. He desires to be with us such that he pours out his grace on us. Here in our time, let us, like God, desire so strongly to be with one another that the false measures of perceived deservedness be struck from consideration in how we treat one another. Let us allow God's grace to pour over into our very relationships with one another. This, I would posit, is what matters to him.