St. Paul has written that salvation is for anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord to be saved and this includes Jew and gentile. There is a spiritual Israel within the nation of Israel as Paul dialogues regarding the remnant the seven thousand in this instance who did not bow down to the image of Baal. "Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Ba'al, and every mouth that has not kissed him." (1Kgs.19:18) Ba'al can refer to any god and even to human officials; in some texts it is used as a substitute for Hadad, a god of the rain, thunder, fertility and agriculture. Paul upon drawing from the life of Elijah is stating that God has a remnant at all times even in the case of Elijah who thought he was all alone serving God.
Perhaps we all have a sense of being alone at times in our service to the Lord. And like Elijah we are never alone. We have the Lord who has promised to never leave us or forsake us, we have the Church which has withstood the test of time and many enemies, and we have each other especially in the Oratory. Paul makes it clear that there are many who have been saved and will continue to be saved as a pure act of God's grace. This is not an act of deeds, birthright, or works.
Paul has written earlier to the Romans that the gospel was to the Jew first and now in this chapter he tells us why there is focus on the gentiles. The Jew has had a temporary darkening to their reception of the gospel through their own stubbornness and pride. But this does not mean that the Lord has rejected them it merely means that like all others they have a free will to choose. But the gentiles appear to have a mandate during this time when Israel is stumbling, and that is, we are to provoke them to jealousy. How shall the gentile provoke them to jealousy? By portraying our new found love for God as something so wonderful and joyous that it appears irresistible. This natural branch (Israel) which is being broken off has given this wild branch (Gentiles) an opportunity to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
There is no room here for gentiles to boast but on the contrary we should be fruitful and multiply for this same arrogance and pride could befall us as well. "Therefore let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." (1Cor. 10:12) We must remember that the root supports us and not the other way around. Again we are saved by grace and this leaves no room for boasting. This temporary blindness that Israel has to the person of Jesus Christ being the Messiah will one day turn around and she too will receive Jesus as the Messiah. Paul quotes in verse 26 from Isaiah 59:20-21 the promises God has made to Israel will come to pass. History tells us that for over 1900 years there was not a nation called Israel until 1948 when that all ended and once again Israel came up out of the ashes.
The
promises of God are like the depths and riches of His wisdom and knowledge. We
don't always understand them but we can be certain that He will accomplish them.
And we are in His debt and He is our counselor. This is the blessing of His
grace towards us that He always has the resources we need to sustain us.
Everything that exists is due to a God who has created everything and is in
control of everything pertaining to our life, this world, and the future.
His servants and yours,
Gerard & Yolanda Cleffi Directors
Oratory of Divine Love
Reach Down, O Lord
Reach down, O lord, and draw us to yourself. Restrain our evil impulses, open our hearts to good, to love, to forgiveness, to the fulfillment of your holy laws which call us to be like you. Jesus, our Savior, knock with your wounded hand at the closed doors of our hearts and call to us in the streets of life. Give us direction in the confusion and cares of this painful journey. Stay with us, O Lord, for evening comes and the shadows grow long. May your Holy Spirit fill the world with God's healing and strength beyond all our meriting or expectations so that we may be saved, and all those we love and the whole world.
-Father Benedict J. Groeschel ,Quiet Moments with Benedict J. Groeschel,St. Anthony Messenger Press, Cincinnati, Ohio, Pg.43
My God and Saviour, all things that occur today, are under Your guidance and control. Even the evil which others will do to me even this You permit for Your good reasons. In accepting life's daily trials, I cooperate with Your all -wise providence and I help fulfill Your eternal all wise providence and I help fulfill Your eternal plan. To the worldly-minded, I will seem a fool, but it is great wisdom to be such a fool. This is the foolishness of God which will overcome the wisdom of this world. I therefore offer to You all that I am and all that I have. Grant me light to see how this offering may be put into practice today. Give me courage and generosity to follow Your light in all that happens. Amen.
-Anthony J. Paone, S.J., My Daily Bread, Brooklyn, N.Y., Confraternity Of The Precious Blood Of Jesus, Pg.425