I missed Monday, so here are the first readings from Monday and Tuesday from 1 Peter -- the first Papal Encyclical. :)
1 Peter 1:3-16
MONDAY
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you
5 who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
6 In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials,
7 so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
8 Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
9 as you attain the goal of (your) faith, the salvation of your souls.
TUESDAY
10 Concerning this salvation, prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and investigated it,
11 investigating the time and circumstances that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the glories to follow them.
12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you with regard to the things that have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you (through) the holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels longed to look.
13 Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
15 but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
16 for it is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."
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Peter is speaking directly on the subject of submitting to God’s authority.
He approaches it in a couple of ways. First, in verses 6 and 7, he addresses the question of suffering very succinctly. We are called by God to suffer for a greater good. With suffering eventually comes a deeper love for God, resulting in an indescribable and glorious joy. I wish I could describe that better, but like the book says ... it's indescribable. :)
In verses 13-16, St. Peter speaks on obedience. It isn't until one truly submits to God's authority that they even see the need for obedience. Until then, God’s commands are really just a list of good things to live by. Once one submits to God's authority, the light shines on the self, and we begin to be able to see ourselves as God sees us. Once that happens, the necessity of obedience becomes obvious – we can see with your own eyes how short we truly are of what we are called to be.
