Sleeping Beauty

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
-Romans 5:15 

Paul is instructing the Romans that we all die because the original sin of Adam is imputed to us, not because of OUR individual sins, and that we all are saved, or justified, because the righteousness and obedience of Jesus Christ is imputed to us, not because we have to earn it with acts of righteousness.  

Does anyone else see parallels here with the fairytale of Sleeping Beauty? Maleficent, slighted that she wasn’t invited to the celebration of Aurora’s birth, casts a death curse on the baby girl. Another fairy cannot reverse the curse (wouldn't that be the best, though? A perfect reversal would be so much easier than having to deal with the consequences of our actions), but is able to soften it so the beloved princess will fall into a long, deep sleep instead of dying.  And then things work out pretty well, but not without some sadness, struggle and lots of patience.

-Ruth Loomis

Let us pray…

Holy Mother, remind us continually that your gift of Grace is ours because Christ lived, taught and died, and to rejoice in it. Inspire us to follow His examples of righteousness. Forgive us when we dwell on our imperfections, and have us forgive ourselves when we succumb to our weaknesses. We are grateful that you shine your love and light on the world, and pray that we magnify and share your love and light with all we meet.  Amen.