Delivered by Grace Larope from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Romans 8: 12-17; Rs psalm 68: 2.4.6-7ab.20-21; Luke 13: 10-17.

WE ARE DEBTORS TO THE SPIRIT, NOT THE FLESH

Our meditation today is entitled: We are Debtors tothe Spirit, not the Flesh. The apostle Paul in his letter to the Church in Romeaffirms that "we are indebted, not to the flesh, to live according to theflesh" (Romans 8:12 ). This statement reminds us that the life of believersis no longer controlled by mortal worldly desires, but by the life-givingSpirit of God. Flesh here symbolizes human nature that is selfish, greedy,lustful, and seeks self-satisfaction. Meanwhile, the Spirit moves us to live inlove, forgiveness, and life-giving service to others.

Living according to the flesh does seem encouraging.The world offers luxury, honor, and power that seem to promise happiness.However, saint Paul insists that all this will lead people to a spiritualdeath. There are so many people in the world today who choose to live accordingto the flesh.

When a man lives without the Spirit of God, his heartbecomes empty and disoriented. He may seem successful in the eyes of the world,but his soul is shackled by greed and pride. This is what happened to thePharisees and scribes in Jesus' day. They diligently obeyed the law outwardly,but their hearts were far from God. They were after human praise, not realtruth of faith.

Jesus firmly rebuked them for their hypocriticallifestyle. They showed righteousness in public, but their hearts were hard andmerciless. In this regard, Jesus shows that living according to the flesh isnot only a matter of moral sin, but also an attitude of human soul that resiststhe guidance of the Spirit. A person who lives according to the flesh preferspower to service, honor to humility, outward order to life-giving love.

On the contrary, living according to the Spirit meansopening one's heart to God's renewing work. The Holy Spirit transforms us fromwithin: from pride to humility, from hatred to love, from fear to courage to dogood. Living according to the Spirit makes us realize that everything we haveis not for ourselves, but for building a life together. Saint Paul affirms that"the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will also bring your mortalbodies to life." Living in the Spirit is a life of hope, even in the midstof the suffering and uncertainty of the world.

We should choose to live according to the Spirit, notthe flesh. The world may be tempted by false promises, but God's Spirit givestrue joy that is unshakable.

Let us pray. In the name of the Father ... O Holy God, may wepersevere in the guidance of the Holy Spirit and dare to resist the temptationsof the spirit of living according to the flesh. Hail Mary, full of grace... Inthe name of the Father ...