Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Written by Eric Wilkes
Want to hear some good news? All have sinned.That’s right. Right there in your Bible and in mine, Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That means you and me. And everyone you know or have ever met. We have all missed the mark and fallen short of the glory of God. That’s it. Have a nice life.
..,Still here? Yeah, me too. Probably because the Romans 3:23 passage feels a little incomplete right? It should. While it’s a very true (and quite humbling) statement, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Romans 3:24 goes on to say, “and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” This is why the reality that “all have sinned” is good news. Through Christ, all have been offered redemption. All have been rescued. And all have a reason to praise.
The story of the psalmist is our story. “I will praise you Lord, for You have rescued me.” And that rescue comes in different ways for each of us. Maybe you feel like you’ve lead a life close to God ever since you can remember. Never turning from him and for the most part avoiding sin as best as you can.. You too have been rescued. St Thomas Aquinas notes something interesting about our salvation. In the story of our lives, sometimes God offers us the grace to be saved from sin before we encounter it. To others He offers the grace of mercy from sins already committed. I like to say that, no matter our story, God has either saved us or spared us.
If I’m being honest, it’s a little bit of both. Growing up, I never went to immoral parties or lived out a life overtly and openly against what my parents and God asked of me. In this way I was spared. Spared from the literal and figurative headache of the party scene. However, God has saved me and is continuing to save me through continued purification through the sacraments and a renewal of my mind. The older I get, the more I see the ways I’ve missed the mark. Through my thought processes, judgements, speech, etc. Everyday, I am being rescued from my old self and my old ways. And thank God I am.
The singer Jon Foreman captures this continuous rescue in his song “Eulogy” so beautifully. The chorus goes like this:
Every day I write the eulogy
For everything I used to be
I'm still aiming for a better me
I am the mosaic of a shattered man
Broken and becoming
Broken and becoming who I am
This is the good news of our faith. All have sinned but through Christ, all have been saved or spared. His rescue has led me to praise and I hope that’s something that comes to life for you in a new way. Let’s remember the ways he’s rescued us and that lead us to praise the Lord.
How has God rescued you or spared Your life?
Where is God still saving you?
What are some practical ways you can make time to look back and thank Him?
How do you want to praise Him for the rescue He’s offers?
Eric Wilkes is a Louisiana-born and Chicago-based artist, musician and producer serving churches, communities, and ministries on an international level. He has been an artist, writer, co-writer, instrumentalist, and producer for several projects through NOVUM RECORDS, and is a part of the indie rock duo NOVUM. When he’s not playing music, he enjoys spending quality time with his wife, Cori, his family, and his close friends relaxing and enjoying good conversations. When Eric needs medicine for his soul he finds it in new places, sunny days, trips to the ocean, chai tea lattes, playing piano in empty churches and late night adoration chapel visits. Check out his music on Spotify and Apple Music, and follow Eric on Instagram.
Pray with today’s psalm.