Word to the Wise
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - Wednesday in the Fifth Week of Lent
[Acts 15:1-6 and John 15:1-8]Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved." Because there arose no little dissension and debate by Paul and Barnabus with them, it was decided that Paul, Barnabus, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and presbyters about this question.
The quotation outlines the first really big dogmatic question to confront the early Christian community. The question is really two-fold: What is the relevance of Jewish observances to the life of the community? And, what is the relevance of gentile converts to the community? The resolution of this question had profound consequences. Christianity became an international movement and not simply a sect of Judaism! Every time I think about this question, I am challenged to ask about what is the essence of faith. For many people, a particular expression is so important that unless that expression is present, the faith is otherwise absent! On a universal basis, Baptism has a status close to this, although the church has always taught that Baptism of Desire is possible when a person is legitimately impeded from the sacrament. On a more particular level, the folks who followed Archbishop Lefebvre take the position that only the Latin Mass of the missal produced by the Council of Trent is a valid expression of Catholic faith! In assessing the importance of the Second Vatican Council to the life of the church, I think it is helpful to recall the "Council of Jerusalem" and what it did for the future of Christianity. It is only 40 or so years ago that that event occurred. Perhaps it is too soon to determine. I know that observances in my own Dominican Order that my novice master told me would never change DID change very soon after he said it! These are hard lessons to learn, but as always, the scriptures can shed light and open our minds to think about what is truly important. AMEN
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