In today’s Epistle, Saint Paul contrasts two covenants: one that would enslave us, and another that would set us free. The first covenant is based on the Law. The Law itself is not bad, the problem is that we fail to live by the Law, and therefore the Law condemns us. Those who are condemned are put in chains and ultimately face death. This is the inevitable fate of mankind, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

How to follow God? Or rather (if we were to translate the opening words of today’s Epistle from the Greek literally), how to imitate God? We are not omniscient, as God is. We are not omnipotent, nor can we create worlds with a mere word, as God has done. We are not perfectly good, and unfortunately, we cannot say about ourselves what we say about God: that He is Love.

Saint Paul says in today’s Epistle: “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” If we now ask what holiness is, the first answer is contained in these same words of Saint Paul: holiness is the opposite of uncleanness. Holiness is purity: purity from sin, from evil, from corruption. Holiness cleanses our conscience and brings us freedom: we no longer have to carry the burden of guilt that weighs us down and drives us to despair, because we are free.

Saint Paul warns us in today's Epistle: “Receive not the grace of God in vain.” How should we understand this? How is it possible to receive the grace of God in vain? Isn’t God’s grace irresistible?

The idea that God’s grace is irresistible is neither biblical nor in accordance with the teaching of the Church, and leads to the Calvinist heresy of double predestination, according to which God has predestined some people to salvation and others to damnation. The Church, on the other hand, teaches that the grace of God is preventive: it precedes our faith and leads us to conversion and justification, but we are also capable of hardening our hearts and resisting the call of God’s grace, because God awaits our free response to His grace and love.

God doesn’t save anyone by force. Today’s Gospel tells of a blind man who begs Jesus to have mercy on him. Before Jesus heals this man, He asks him: “What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?” And the man regains his sight after Jesus says to him, “Thy faith hath saved thee!“