“Without cost you have received.” The words of the Lord seem so clear. The Gospel is free. Salvation is free. Yet we have slowly allowed ourselves to believe something else. The world and its ideas have taken root in many hearts. Many people have come to think that we somehow purchase the faith.
I saw this in a parish not long ago. It was not our parish. Difficult but important changes were introduced, and some people were unhappy. Tensions rose enough that the diocese had to send in others to listen and help bring healing. In the aftermath of those meetings, I saw some of the feedback on social media. One comment struck me: “Why don’t we let the market decide? Each parish can do what it wants, and the money will pick the winner.”
Living in a capitalist nation, this way of thinking is in the air we breathe. The free market often works well. Despite its frequently under-acknowledged failures and limitations, it improves lives and creates prosperity. Seeing that, we can begin to believe that the market should govern every aspect of life, even the Church. But the market only tells us what people are willing to buy. It helps determine prices according to supply and demand. It does not tell us what is true. It is indifferent to God’s revelation. Therefore, it cannot tell us whether a community is faithful, whether the Gospel is being proclaimed in its fullness, or whether Christ himself is present.
Here, we are not principally concerned with things that can be purchased. The faith is given to us. God’s Word is given to us. The sacraments are given to us. All without cost. Dropping five dollars into the basket does not entitle anyone to the Eucharist. Jesus freely and graciously offers his life for us on the Cross and gives himself to us on this altar.
This challenges us because this community is not ultimately of our choosing. The clergy, the parishioners, and the faith itself are all given to us by God to be received with love and gratitude. Decisions can disappoint us, and people can hurt us. At times, we may even wonder whether there is still a place for us. But God’s grace is present even in those moments. He is inviting us to let go of control. He is calling us to patience, humility, and charity.
This place is not our possession but the crucible of God’s love, in which we are refined. Growth in holiness and genuine closeness to Christ are found not in creating boutique parishes or a Church in our own image, but in receiving all that God has given us and rejoicing in it.
The Body of Christ is one, and we must learn to live as one. So let go of your grudges, your past hurts, and your own will. Open your hearts to all that God is giving you right now. “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” The world desperately needs Jesus Christ. But the world will not listen to us or receive him until we learn to live and witness as one.