Word to the Wise
Saturday, August 29, 2009 - Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist
[1 Thessalonians 4:9-11 and Mark 6:17-29]On the subject of fraternal charity you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
One of the major cities of our country is named after "fraternal charity" - Philadelphia! St. Paul uses the word only a couple of times in his letters, but the meaning is clear. He expects the community to act like a community of love and exhorts them to aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you. However, the phrase you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another is one that asks for some explanation, because all of us today could use a reminder. A hallmark of Christian life should be love for one another that spills over into those who have not come to the faith. To be taught by God is to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit. For the Christian, this is formally expressed for the first time in baptism but must be recognized by us in our intentions and actions. God continually "teaches" us but quite often we just don't listen. Maybe we're "text messaging" or distracted by all the efforts required by the frantic pace of our cultural life. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that the new law of Christ is nothing other than the Holy Spirit working in our hearts through faith in Christ. This must be expressed in the way we love one another. To truly express philadelphia and to be taught by God means we must give attention to others and pay attention to God! AMEN
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