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Office Of Readings | Week 5, Wednesday, Ordinary Time | A Reading From The Letters Of Saint Ambrose | We Are Heirs Of God And Fellow Heirs With Jesus Christ
‘We are heirs of God, coheirs with Christ.’
In this reading, Saint Ambrose reflects on Saint Paul’s teaching about life in the Spirit and the dignity given to believers as children of God. His focus is on adoption, inheritance, and hope, all of which shape the Christian understanding of suffering and future glory.
Ambrose begins with Paul’s claim that those who put to death sinful deeds by the Spirit will live. This life is not merely moral improvement but participation in a new relationship with God. The presence of the Spirit is the sign that believers are no longer slaves but sons and daughters. This sonship is confirmed inwardly by the Spirit himself, who enables believers to address God with the intimacy of ‘Abba, Father’. For Ambrose, this interior cry is a decisive witness to Christian identity.
Ambrose then turns to the second proof of this sonship: inheritance. To be a child of God is to be an heir, and more specifically a coheir with Christ. Sharing in Christ’s inheritance also means sharing in his path. Glory is inseparable from suffering, and participation in Christ’s suffering is presented not as a loss but as the condition for being glorified with him.
Ambrose places present suffering within a broader perspective. Drawing on Paul’s words, he stresses that present hardships are insignificant when set against the glory that is to come. That future glory is described as restoration to the likeness of God and the direct vision of God. Human destiny is therefore not simply survival beyond death but transformation and communion.
The scope of this hope extends beyond humanity. Ambrose explains Paul’s teaching that creation itself is involved in this drama. The created world shares in humanity’s frustration and awaits the revealing of the sons of God. Creation’s hope is bound to Christ, and its future freedom is linked to the freedom of God’s children. Redemption is thus cosmic in scope, embracing both humanity and the world it inhabits.
For the present, both creation and believers live in a state of longing. The Spirit, already given as firstfruits, awakens desire for what is not yet complete. Adoption is already real within the Church, where the Spirit cries out in believers’ hearts, but it will reach perfection only at the resurrection, when humanity is fully renewed and sees God face to face.
Ambrose concludes by emphasising hope. Salvation is described as something already begun but not yet finished. Hope sustains believers in this in-between time, just as faith does. Christian life is therefore marked by confident expectation, grounded in the work of the Spirit and the promise of God.
A Reading From The Letters Of Saint Ambrose | We Are Heirs Of God And Fellow Heirs With Jesus Christ
The person who puts to death by the spirit the deeds of our sinful nature will live, says the Apostle. This is most surprising since one who has the Spirit of God becomes a child of God. So true is it that he is a child of God that he received not a spirit that enslaves but the Spirit that makes us sons. So much so that the holy Spirit bears witness to our spirit that we are sons of God. This is the witness of the Holy Spirit: he cries out in our hearts, Abba, Father, as we read in the letter to the Galatians.
There is also that other great testimony to the fact that we are sons of God: We are heirs of God, coheirs with Christ. A coheir of Christ is one who is glorified along with Christ. The one who is glorified along with him is one who, by suffering for him, suffers along with him.
To encourage us in suffering, Paul adds that all our sufferings are small in comparison with the wonderful reward that will be revealed in us; our labors do not deserve the blessings that are to come. We shall be restored to the likeness of God, and counted worthy of seeing him face to face.
He enhances the greatness of the revelation that is to come by adding that creation also looks forward to this revealing of the sons of god. Creation, he says, is at present condemned to frustration, not of its own choice, but it lives in hope. Its hope is in Christ, as it awaits the grace of his ministry; or it hopes that it will share in the glorious freedom of the sons of God and be freed from its bondage to corruption, so that there will be one freedom, shared by creation and by the sons of God when their glory will be revealed.
At present, however, while this revealing is delayed, all creation groans as it looks forward to the glory of adoption and redemption; it is already in labour with that spirit of salvation, and is anxious to be freed from its subjection to frustration.
The meaning is clear: those who have the firstfruits of the Spirit are groaning in expectation of the adoption of sons. This adoption of sons is that of the whole body of creation, when it will be as it were a son of God and see the divine, eternal goodness face to face. The adoption of sons is present in the Church of the Lord when the Spirit cries out: Abba, Father, as you read in the letter to the Galatians. But it will be perfect when all who are worthy of seeing the face of God rise in incorruption, in honour and in glory. Then our humanity will know that it has been truly redeemed. So Paul glories in saying: We are saved by hope. Hope saves, just as faith does, for of faith it is said: Your faith has saved you.
Christian Prayer With Jesus Christ
Father of mercy,
you have given us your Spirit
and made us your children in Christ.
Strengthen us to live by the Spirit,
putting to death what leads away from life,
and trusting in the inheritance you have promised.
Give us patience in suffering
and confidence in the glory that is to come.
Sustain our hope
as we await the full redemption of our bodies
and the renewal of all creation.
May your Spirit continue to cry within us,
Abba, Father,
until we see you face to face
and share fully in the glory of your Son.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Glossary Of Christian Terms
Spirit of God | The Holy Spirit dwelling within believers
Adoption of sons | Being made children of God by grace
Abba, Father | An intimate address to God inspired by the Spirit
Heirs of God | Those who share in God’s promised life
Coheirs with Christ | Believers who share in Christ’s inheritance
Suffering with Christ | Sharing in hardship for the sake of Christ
Glory | The transformed life promised by God
Likeness of God | Restoration of humanity to its intended form
Creation | The whole created order
Bondage to corruption | Subjection to decay and death
Firstfruits of the Spirit | The Spirit as a foretaste of future glory
Redemption | The full restoration of humanity and creation
Hope | Confident expectation of God’s promise
John 4:13-14 (KJV) ‘Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’ Introduction to the Life of Saint Bernadette Saint Bernadette Soubirous, a humble peasant girl from Lourdes, France, lived her life of faith, humility, and divine grace. Born on January 7, 1844, in the small town of Lourdes, Bernadette was the eldest of nine children in a poor and struggling family. Her father, François Soubirous, was a miller, and her mother, Louise, a laundress. The family lived in a former prison cell known as the Cachot, a damp and cramped space, according to their dire financial situation. Despite their poverty, the Soubirous family was deeply rooted in their Christian faith, a foundation that would profoundly shape Bernadette’s life and spiritual journey. Bernadette’s early years were marked by significant health challenges. She suffered from asthma and other respiratory ailments, which often left her weak and unable to attend school regularly. This lack of formal education meant that Bernadette struggled with reading and writing, and her understanding of Christian doctrine was limited. Nevertheless, she possessed a remarkable simplicity and purity of heart, qualities that would make her an ideal recipient of divine revelations. Bernadette’s life changed irrevocably on February 11, 1858, when she experienced the first of eighteen apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the grotto of Massabielle. On that cold winter day, Bernadette, her sister Toinette, and a friend were gathering firewood near the grotto when she heard a rustling sound and saw a beautiful lady dressed in white with a blue sash, holding a rosary. The lady, who later identified herself as the Immaculate Conception, appeared to Bernadette over the course of several months, delivering messages of penance, prayer, and the need for a chapel to be built at the site. Despite initial skepticism from her family and the local authorities, Bernadette remained steadfast in her account of the apparitions, enduring intense scrutiny and even ridicule. The apparitions drew enormous attention. Soon, people from all over France and beyond began to visit Lourdes, hoping to witness a miracle. One of the most significant messages conveyed by the Virgin Mary to Bernadette was the instruction to dig in the ground near the grotto, which led to the discovery of a spring. This spring, believed to have healing properties, became the focal point of the pilgrimage to Lourdes. Many miraculous healings have been attributed to the waters of Lourdes, reinforcing the belief in Bernadette’s visions and the sanctity of the site. As the apparitions concluded, Bernadette’s life took a different turn. In 1866, she joined the Sisters of Charity in Nevers, taking the name Sister Marie-Bernard. Her time in the convent was marked by continued poor health and humility, as she carried out menial tasks and lived a life of quiet service. Despite her physical suffering, Bernadette remained devout and accepted her hardships with grace, often repeating the phrase, “I am happier here in my little corner of the convent.” Her unwavering faith and dedication to her religious duties exemplified the depth of her spiritual commitment. Bernadette Soubirous passed away on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35, after a prolonged battle with tuberculosis. Her legacy, however, endured far beyond her earthly life. In 1933, she was canonized as a saint by Pope Pius XI, recognized for her humility, faith, and the miraculous events associated with her life. Today, millions of pilgrims flock to Lourdes each year, seeking spiritual renewal and physical healing at the site of her visions. Saint Bernadette’s life continues to inspire countless individuals around the world, reminding us of the power of faith, the virtue of humility, and the enduring presence of divine grace in our lives. To Visit Lourdes Visiting Lourdes, in the picturesque foothills of the Pyrenees in southwestern France, is an experience that transcends the physical journey, drawing pilgrims into a profound spiritual adventure. The small town, known for the Marian apparitions witnessed by Saint Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, has become one of the world’s most revered pilgrimage sites. As we approach the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, the atmosphere is imbued with a palpable sense of reverence and anticipation. The grand basilicas, the tranquil Grotto of Massabielle and the gently flowing waters of the miraculous spring together create a sacred environment that invites reflection, prayer, and a deep connection with the divine. The focal point of any visit to Lourdes is the Grotto, where Bernadette experienced the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here, pilgrims can touch the rock face, light candles, and drink or bathe in the spring’s water, believed to possess healing properties. The profound silence and sense of sacredness at the Grotto allow visitors to contemplate their faith, seek solace and find spiritual renewal. The Rosary Basilica, with its mosaics, and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, perched above the Grotto, offer spaces for communal worship and personal meditation. The nightly candlelight processions, where pilgrims from around the globe unite in prayer and song, highlight the universal bond of faith and hope that Lourdes represents. Beyond its physical beauty and historical significance, visiting Lourdes offers a deeply personal and transformative experience. Pilgrims often arrive burdened with ailments, grief, or spiritual crises, seeking comfort and miracles. The stories of healing and faith that emerge from Lourdes are testimonies to the enduring power of belief and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The communal aspect of the pilgrimage—sharing meals, prayers, and stories with fellow believers—fosters a sense of solidarity and mutual support. For many, the visit to Lourdes is a journey of healing, not only of the body but also of the soul, providing a renewed sense of purpose, peace, and spiritual clarity that lingers long after returning home. Prayer With Saint Bernadette Prayer for Intercession Dear […]
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