February 6, 2015 8:30am

The first reading from the Letter to the Hebrews gives us kind of a litany of exhortations – things that the inspired author wants us to do as followers of Jesus.

Be hospitable in all circumstances.

Be mindful of prisoners and all those in difficult circumstances.

Honor and respect marriage.

Don’t get hooked into money and possessions.

Imitate the faith of your leaders, especially your spiritual leaders.

And why should we do all of this?

The last verse of the passage ties it all together.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

We need to ground ourselves in the powerful love of Jesus Christ.

We need to remember how in love God desired before all time to be one with creation and accomplished this in the Incarnation of Jesus,

how Jesus gave himself for us in the crucifixion,

and how he continues to give of himself to us in the food of the Eucharist.

So, our motivation for responding to all of these exhortations is to return and, as I like to say it, live out of the love of God in Jesus.

Our moral actions are then no longer obligations or burdens, but rather they are ways of God’s love or Christ’s love for the world affect us and flow through us.

And that love is the same yesterday, today, and forever.