Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

REFLECTION

I remember an anti-bullying commercial titled “It Only Takes One.” It was short, simple, yet incredibly powerful. The scene showed one young girl standing up to a group of bullies. At first, she stood alone — nervous, uncertain — but then one by one, others began to stand with her. The most moving moment came at the end, when the girl who was bullied reached out her hand and held the bully’s hand — an act of love and forgiveness. It was a beautiful reminder that it only takes one to begin a change.

In our reading from Romans, St. Paul reminds us that this truth runs deep in salvation history. Through one man, Adam, sin entered the world. One act of disobedience opened the door to death and brokenness. Yet through one man, Jesus Christ, grace entered the world. One act of obedience — His “yes” to the Father’s will, His sacrifice on the cross — brought life, redemption, and hope to all.

Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more. That’s the mystery of God’s love: even when humanity failed, God’s response was greater still. One act of divine love conquered what countless acts of sin had caused.

And if that’s true for Adam and Christ, it’s also true for us. It only takes one act of kindness to change someone’s day. One act of love to heal a heart. One act of forgiveness to restore peace. One “yes” to help, to serve, to pray — to say, “Here I am, Lord.” It only takes one moment to kneel before God in adoration and let grace overflow again in your life.

So today, be that one.
Be the one who forgives.
Be the one who loves.
Be the one who says “yes” to God.

If we took that one step toward God, imagine what He could do with it. Because God has always worked through “the one” — one heart open to grace, one soul willing to trust, one person ready to say “yes.” And if we become that one person, just like in the commercial, imagine the many who will follow — the hearts that will be moved, the lives that will be changed, and the love that will multiply — all because of one simple act of faith.

Because with God, it only takes one — to begin again, to heal, to bring light into the world.