Word to the Wise
Thursday, May 5, 2016 - 6th Week of Easter - Thurs
[Acts 18:1-8 and John 16:16-20]THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016 THURSDAY IN THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER [Acts 18:1-8 and John 16:16-20] "Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." [Acts] In much of the world today, the feast of the Ascension is celebrated today, but in most of the USA, that will occur next Sunday. The scriptures for today are for the sixth week in Eastertime. They reveal an interesting tidbit about Paul and a historic moment in his ministry. The "tidbit" is that he had a trade. He was a tent maker! The historic moment is that he turned his attention to non-Jews. The result was a spread of the faith beyond the boundaries of Judaism to become not an offshoot but a major religious movement of its own. For this reason, some authors have referred to Paul as the "second founder of Christianity!" That did not mean he put his Jewish roots out of his head. HIs epistle to the Romans reveals his anguish about them. The Second Vatican Council opened a new generation in the Church's relationship with Judaism after centuries of trouble and sorrow. Instead of blaming Judaism collectively for the death of Jesus, we have once more begun to respect our roots and to let them be just that. Catholics are discouraged from efforts to convert Jews to Christianity. Paul's words in Romans 9-11 about God's irrevocable covenant with the Jewish people are to be taken seriously. We can be grateful both for Paul's shift in ministry as well as for our roots in Judaism. AMEN
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