Word to the Wise
Tuesday, October 13, 2015 - Tuesday in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time
[Rom 1:16-25 and Luke 11:37-41]I am not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek. For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous by faith will live." [Romans]
A young Augustinian friar and scripture teacher in the early years of the 16th century was struggling with his understanding of faith and salvation. He was scandalized by the blatant sale of spiritual benefits (indulgences) and the dissolute state of the papacy in Rome and the church in the city of Wurtemburg in Germany. The Letter to the Romans offered him a way through his spiritual anxiety, particularly the passage that is featured today in the first scripture: "The one who is righteous by faith will live." Luther realized that no action of devotion could save him, only God could do that as long as he (Luther) placed all his faith in God. His act of nailing a list of propositions to the door of the cathedral in Wurtemburg was the spark that started the Reformation.
The Letter to the Romans is a reminder to us that we cannot "earn" or "buy" salvation. However, we cannot simply sit down and believe and wait for heaven. The gospel clearly demands action from us (Matt. 25:31-45). St. Paul himself is an example of that. After his dramatic conversion, he spent his life traveling and preaching. But the act of faith is the central reality. It is this faith that establishes our relationship to God. For the one who believes in Christ as the one whom God has sent, the act of Baptism formally establishes the relationship. For those who do not believe in Christ (e.g. Jews, Muslims), faith is still the central mystery.
At the end of the month of October, Protestants and Catholics alike celebrate "Reformation Sunday" in memory of Luther's proclamation. It reminds us that we have a long way to go for Christian Unity, but I like to see it as a reminder of the power of scripture to shape lives. AMEN