"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." – Philippians 2:12.

I have just returned from a four hour visit to the Emergency Room.  There is not a break in my rib-cage as I suspect with each deep breathe, just a contusion that will likely remain painful for a while longer.

It all started two weeks ago in a parking garage.  I slipped and tripped near the stairwell.  I completely lost my balance and found myself plummeting head-first towards the concrete wall of the stairwell.

The concrete wall was certain to do considerable damage to my skull, no matter how thick some of my
friends claim that they think it is. I was "saved" by a steel banister along the stairwell. I slammed into
it, hitting it on my side below my armpit.  It knocked the wind out of me.  I truly saw stars.

And I still have the residual pain of the contusion weeks later, so I went the ER this evening for x-rays…
just to make sure that I was not impeding my own recovery by not knowing how bad it really was… or was
not.  That steel railing clearly saved me and I have not been the same since the moment we first met.

Man stands in need of salvation from God. Divine help comes to him in Christ through the law that guides him and the grace that sustains him. (CCC, 1949)  When we recognize the power of God’s plan of salvation for our life, we cannot but be changed.  The barriers and boundaries protect us from hard and we are given grace and strength for the long haul.

But, we were never promised that it would be easy, or popular, or not scandalous, or even comfortable. The gift of the saving sacrifice of Jesus was none of that.  Why should we continue with the delusion that we as recipients should not be impacted, unaffected, or not discomforting?