There never was a time when God was not working for our salvation - and for the salvation of all. We had little to do with it for it was all in God's plan from the beginning. It is not something we earn or deserve; it is God's gracious gift to us. However far people wander from God He will be two steps ahead of them. God is the God of life, not punishment or death. But there is more than just salvation, for God wants to share all the spiritual blessings of heaven with us in Christ. Jesus did not come only to save us, but to empower us with the gift of his own spirit so that we can become as he is. Our response should be to accept God's gifts with humility and gratitude.

Prophets have rarely been welcomed and received with open hearts and minds. This applies in our own time as well as the time of Jesus. Prophets challenge and provoke us in an attempt to awaken our conscience about sin, hypocrisy, and injustice. Often prophets are persecuted, sometimes they are even killed. Later generations think that they are better - that if they had been there in the time of the prophet they never would have mistreated or rejected them. In reality, we are all capable of this. How well do we treat the prophets of our own time? How well do we receive new ideas or challenges to old ideas? A truly spiritual response would be to reflect on what you have heard and pray over it, asking for guidance and truth. Prophets are our teachers, and we should honor them while they live instead of long after their martyrdom.