Obedience is a Priceless Grace!
Many times in a day I find myself asking myself the question: “What do you really know?” And the answer is always: “Not much!”The more God leads me into the divine mystery, the more I realize that the disposition to obey and follow the directives, inspirations, and nudges of God, is the best grace one could ask for. It completely frees one from preoccupation with plans and controlling the outcomes. God is Our Father, and He knows how and where He leads us. I realize why the bible always emphasizes obedience: Abraham is called our father in faith (Hebrews 11:8 -19; Romans 4: 16 -17) because he obeyed God even when it seemed irrational and cruel to kill his only son; the history of Israel is replete with disobedience and its catastrophic consequences: Saul, the first king, lost his kingship because of his disobedience (1 Samuel 13: 1 – 14); Israel was torn into the North and the South because of the disobedience of King Solomon (1 Kings 11 & 12), etc. Jesus Himself declares that his food is to do the will of His Father in Heaven (John 4:34). St. Paul’s classical hymn about Christ (Phil. 2: 2-11) is a proclamation of the triumph of the grace of obedience in the life of Our Lord. When we learn to obey God, we open ourselves to the most priceless grace we ever need in this life. I pray for this grace upon all of us, especially during this Lenten Season. Amen
~Fr Cornelius Okeke