EQUALITY BREEDS LIFE.

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. YEAR B.
June 28, 2009.
(First reading: Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24) (Psalm 30:2-6, 11-13)
(Second reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15) (Gospel: Mark 5:21-43)


EQUALITY BREEDS LIFE.

By the life of Jesus, we, human beings attain equality among ourselves because we are all recipients of his life.

Saint Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians says that humanity's richness is measured by the life of Jesus in us: "You know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).

It is, therefore, Jesus' imperishable life in us what makes us equal, and we, in turn, must live with one another as equals in every respect, especially economically and socially.

Saint Paul talks about how to achieve human equality: "Your surplus at the present time should supply the needs of those who are burdened, so that [in turn] their surplus may also supply your needs [when you are burdened], that there may be equality. As it is written:

'Whoever had much did not have more,
and whoever had little did not have less'" (2 Cor. 8:14-15)

The life of Jesus makes us all equal both in heaven and earth.
Equality among humans beings has two dimensions:
1) Equality on earth: We must live as equals in this world; and
2) Equality in heaven: We must also live as equals within the "Communion of Saints", for the saints come to our aid to supply our needs for life whenever there is a lack of it in us.

As we share the life of Christ here on earth and in heaven, we can be reassured that the life of Jesus in us makes us equals among ourselves.

Now, Why do we say that equality breeds life? Because without equality we are dead. We need human equality in order to be alive.