Optional Memorial of Saint Stephen of Hungary
The Lord is always calling us towards something higher. We see this call at work in today’s Gospel, when the Pharisees challenge Jesus on divorce and remarriage. Although Moses allowed the Israelites to divorce “because of the hardness of their hearts,” Christ holds us to an even higher standard and forbids divorce. The Pharisees recognize what a difficult standard this is. The commitment of marriage until death cannot be accomplished through human effort, but only through the grace of God.
This pattern holds true in many aspects of the spiritual life. What was permitted yesterday, Christ calls us beyond today. He always calls us deeper and deeper into Christian perfection, beyond sin, beyond attachment, beyond mediocrity. He calls us one step at a time, when we are ready to hear his call. And while that call always stretches us, he always gives us the grace to answer that call. Today, let’s pray for that grace to progress in Christian perfection in every aspect of our lives, as Christ desires.