Salvation
Acts 4:1–12; Psalm 118; John 21:1–14
Today’s readings focus on the subject of salvation. Salvation refers to deliverance from danger or suffering, often referring to temporal or eternal spiritual deliverance. The Bible uses this term to describe Paul’s release from prison (Phil 1:19), while Jesus equated salvation with entering the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24-25).
What are we saved from? We are saved from “wrath,” that is, from God’s judgment of sin (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). According to the Acts of the Apostles, Peter declared to the crowd, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” Thus, both physical and eternal salvation occur in the name of Jesus Christ. Hence, Jesus is the only name that has been given for our salvation. It’s essential to be mindful of the names we invoke during prayers, as some Christians today pray in the name of their pastors, which differs from the invocation or intercession of the saints.
The statement by Cyprian of Carthage, “Salus extra ecclesiam non est” (there is no salvation outside the Church), requires careful understanding. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that this phrase means “all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church, which is his body,” and it’s not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church (CCC 846-848).
The theme of salvation is beautifully demonstrated in the story of the miraculous catch of fish. Peter’s obedience to the Lord’s instruction resulted in a net full of a large quantity of fish, foreshadowing how Peter would draw men from the world to the Lord—from sin to salvation.
Lord, have mercy and save us.
Let us pray:
Almighty, ever-living God, who gave us the Paschal Mystery in the covenant you established for reconciling the human race, so dispose our minds that what we celebrate by professing faith we may express in deeds. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
