Word to the Wise
Wednesday, August 31, 2016 - Wednesday in the 22th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Cor 3:1-9 and Luke 4:38-44]What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, niether the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. [1 Corinthians]
Factions and cliques are the bane of any organization. We know this from our own experience in grade school and high school! The same is true in any church parish or public agency where there are large numbers of staff people or particular organizations such as choirs, ushers, etc.. This can happen when parishioners become divided in their likes or dislikes of a particular pastor or assistant pastor. It's an old problem which we can see from St. Paul's letter. People began to divide into "groupies" for Paul or for Apollos (not the Greek deity but an early Christian preacher) depending on whichever preacher baptized them!
Paul uses this example to show the Corinthians that even if they considered themselves to be "new" people because of their baptism, they do not show it if they are quarreling about divided personal loyalties to various preachers! This is where the Spirit/flesh dichotomy comes into play in Pauline theology. "Flesh" refers to their previous unconverted life. "Spirit" refers, in part, to their new identity as Christians. "While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh, and walking according to the manner of man?"
This is a challenge to all of us, whether we are "cradle" Catholics or newly baptised or "converted" members of the church. The big picture is more important, as Paul reminds us. It is God who "gives the increase" (older translation). Whether we be parishioner or pastor, that bigger picture should motivate us so that God's work can be done. AMEN
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