Alleluia, our focus on the order of salvation.
Even from the order of creation with all its pristine and excellent nature and the way all things are perfectly ordered, flowing from the overall and unquestionable supreme goodness of our creator, we know that our response to God who has given us the gift of creation is to unceasingly be in thanksgiving and praise. God always deserves our gestures of praise. If the order of creation can move us into deep praises and thanksgiving, how much more the order of salvation, whereby God sent His only begotten son to offer His life in atonement for damning human sins and failings, so as to bring mankind and the whole of creation to the reality of salvation or redemption through Christ’s paschal Mysteries: Passion, Death and resurrection.
Our response to the supreme and endless love of God is to offer an unceasing sacrifice of praise. In the words of the psalmist, how can I repay the Lord for His goodness to me? I will raise the cup of salvation, and I will call on the Lord’s name. Psalm 116:12. It is greatly befitting to keep praising God, (Alleluia), as our response to the supreme gift of salvation God has wrought through the events of Christ in human history. The reality of salvation is so deep in expressing the supreme love of God for us and we cannot but immerse ourselves in great appreciation of God’s endless love for us with gestures of praise. The love of God for us befittingly demands our response of faith and we demonstrate a true response of faith through the culture of immersing ourselves in continuous praise of God.
The cup of salvation that is raised in the liturgical celebrations of Holy Mass reveals a true acceptance of God’s offer of salvation in deep sense of thanksgiving and praise. Thus, the Holy Mass is the highest expression of praise and thanksgiving, humans can offer to God who has saved them through the reality of the paschal Mystery of Christ. The Holy Mass is also known as The Eucharist, deriving from its Greek root, eucharistein, and eulogien, which means, an action of thanksgiving. The true response to the order of salvation is to keep celebrating the mystery of the Eucharist, which is nothing other than an action of thanksgiving and praise to God. With our culture of participating in the eucharistic celebration, we connect with in others in union with our Lord Jesus Christ, who offers an unblemished praise to the Father on our behalf. In union with Christ, our sacrifice of praise to God becomes unblemished, pure, befitting and acceptable. In this mystery of the Holy Mass, we join the heavenly host to offer an unceasing praise to God, the most high, who deserves all our praises for we have been redeemed through His endless love and mercy.
As we appreciate the truth of salvation, let us always be reignited to always respond to this unfathomable love of God with the culture of thanksgiving and praise in a manner that reveals that we are deeply grateful for God’s gift of salvation to mankind. Never should it be seen that we relate with God with right of entitlements as though the reality of salvation was through human efforts. We were completely saved from everlasting damnation when we had nothing to offer. God saved us, not because of righteous things, we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5. In another context, St Paul explains, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8. We were nothing when the order of salvation that even surpasses the order of creation was bequeathed to us gratuitously through the loving mercy of God who paid the price of our salvific experience by the precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Perceiving deeply this incomprehensible love of God who has bestowed on us a true participation in the order of salvation that has dignified us as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, then we ought to declare the praises of Him, who called out of darkness into His wonderful light. Cf. 1 Peter 2:9. Our salvific experiences must always be received in the light of our response to God through our deep sense of praising Him unceasingly especially in the Eucharistic Mystery. To receive the gift of salvation is to accept the culture of living to praise God unceasingly. Praising God becomes the hallmark of the salvific people. They are people of great Alleluia. The people who belong to God are the people of great Alleluia who consciously allow their words and actions to be their culture of praises to God who has brought mankind to the experience of salvation and redemption that will culminate in the heavenly Kingdom.
Scriptural readings. Sunday: John 3:16-21. Monday: John 5:1-14. Tuesday: John 6;1-14. Wednesday: John 10:1-20. Thursday: John 15:1-10. Friday: Ephesians 1:1-23. Saturday: 2:1- 19.