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I am sure you have heard the song, “Ang buhay ng Kristiano ay masayang tunay.” This is true because there can be no greater dignity and joy than what Christianity brings. St. Peter tells his fellow Christians that they are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation and people set apart. St. John tells them, “You are no longer a slave. I speak of you as my friends, because a slave does not know what his master is all about. I have called you friends and I am willing to lay down my life for you.”
What could be a greater dignity than to be called a child of God? What can be a greater dignity than to be called a Christian and bearer of Christ himself? But let us be reminded that with every dignity, there is a corresponding responsibility. Every rank of honor has its corresponding obligation.
While Peter calls us a royal priesthood, he also says that being such, we must be true disciples of Christ and live like children of God. John says that friends must love one another and be willing to lay down their lives for each other.
Nowadays, everybody talks about rights and privileges, but not about duties and responsibilities. We talk about our rights to food, but who talks about eating the proper food of our duty to feed the hungry? We talk about shelter, but what about our obligation to give shelter to the homeless? Everybody talks about the right to choose his clothing, but who talks about the responsibility to dress properly and decently? Everybody talks about his right, but hardly anybody talks about his duties.
St. Peter and St. John tell us that for every rank there is a corresponding obligation; for every privilege, there is a duty. The Mass we are celebrating is a great privilege, but it carries with it an obligation to translate what we celebrate into deeds of love.
Let us look into our hearts and see whether we are too obsessed with our rights, without holding up our duties and responsibilities.
YOU ARE CHOSEN
1 Pt 2:11
Jesus In My Heart
