In the first reading, it appears that the new converts struggle to break with their pre-baptismal patterns of life. So St Paul encourages them to live their life for God. Because sin leads to death, and God’s gift leads to eternal life. The old patterns of sin are not easy to break, and grace is needed for the new life in Christ. As Paul wrote reminding Christians that they are called to abandon their old life of sin, and adopt a new life in Christ.

The Gospel...following Christ and being a disciple can sometimes result in family division. This happened in the early church and sometimes it happens today. Let us pray for our families and for perseverance, and for those who face opposition as they commit to Christ Jesus.

St. Anthony Mary Claret

St Anthony Mary Claret lived about 200 years ago. Before becoming a priest and eventually a Bishop, he was a printer and weaver in Spain. As a priest, he would often have missions and preach the Gospel. He would also form faith communities, and eventually they were called Claretians, named after him. Eventually, St Anthony became a Bishop of Santiago Cuba. But the Diocese is a big one, and it was not problem-free. There were much racism, slavery, and persecutions against Christians. What he did was he establish credit unions, to loan money to the poor. That was not well received because it resulted in about 15 assassinations attempts on his life. (You would think that after the first few attempt of his life, that he would stop and go a different route. But this shows his heart for those in need). After serving as Bishop, he became a confessor and advisor to Queen Isabella 2, and he worked on projects such as a natural history museum and schools of music and languages.