Saint Joan of Arc
Individual Responsibility
In today's first reading, we are presented with the declaration of individual responsibility, one of the key passages of Ezekiel. Both here and in Jeremiah 31 the proverb “The fathers have eaten unripe grapes; and the children’s teeth are set on edge” is set aside. This had been the primitive situation which had prevailed in Israel since tribal times, particularly in a desert context, where the fate of one was the fate of all, the punishment of sin of the father would be given his children or even grandchildren. It was the morality of the Deuteronomic history, in which the sins of one generation were often seen as visited upon the next. Now this morality was being questioned, especially among the exiles: why should they suffer for the sins and offences of a previous generation? Were they to be held responsible for the infidelities which had led to the exile?
Unfortunately, it was so, but God later relented and declared individual responsibility, and each individual person and individual generation was to be treated precisely according to its individual behaviour: the son will not die for or of the father’s sins. However, there is a condition of individual responsibility. In chapter 11.18-19 the LORD had promised that he would act, ‘I will give them a single heart and I will put a new spirit in them.’ Now it is the individual who is responsible for repentance: ‘Renounce all your sins; shake off all the sins you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.’
Individual responsibility teaches us a very important aspect in our Christian life and out faith journey. We move together as a faith community, a s a church, and even sodalities in the church, but at the end each one is striving to save for his or her soul. No one will work for the salvation of your or my soul. Others will show us the way, but it all ends up on an individual to decide either to save his or her soul or lose it. Again, it depends on an individual to repent from one's heart if he or she has gone astray. One will be rewarded according to the good he or she has done and on the other part, one will be punished according to his or her sins.
Being aware of would make us grow more and more in faith, and one would never allow anyone to step in his or her way to salvation. Many times, some leave the church because of the conflict with the other church member(s), one decides to sit down at home because he or she doesn't like a parish priest, and many other cases like that. Perhaps, in situations like these, we forget that everyone has an individual responsibility of fighting for eternal glory of his or her soul and also a responsibility of individual repentance. God will of course punish the one who causes us to sin, but he will not take that as a sole reason for our refusal of repentance and not fighting for our own souls because we have individual responsibility and freedom.
The individual responsibility of saving our souls requires us in one way to become like little children. That's why Jesus in the Gospel tells us to little children come to him for it is those who are like them that will inherit the kingdom of God. "For children are ignorant of wickedness. They do not know how to return evil for evil or how to do someone an injury. They do not know how to be lustful or to fornicate or to rob. What they hear, they believe. They love their parents with complete affection. Therefore, beloved, the Lord instructs us that what they are by the gift of nature, we should become by the fear of God, a holy way of life and love of the heavenly kingdom - for unless we are alien to all sin just like children, we cannot come to the Savior" says Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th century Church Father).
Reflect today on how you take individual responsibility seriously. If in any way you have been projecting your actions towards other people, reflect more on your responsibility towards the salvation of your soul and personal repentance.
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, teach me always to see beyond the community and other people in order to grow more in my personal and individual responsibility and repentance. Amen
Be blessed
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