Word to the Wise
Friday, October 21, 2016 - Friday in the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
[Eph 4:1-6 and Luke 12:54-59]I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace; one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. [Ephesians]
In this terribly divided election year, the words above from Ephesians take on an urgent quality. Both the major candidates profess to be Christians, but one would hardly know it from the way in which the televised debates were conducted. It is not just the secular elections that can concern one, however. Occasionally friends will send me snippets from "Catholic" websites that for sheer animosity and judgmentalism rival the secular. Some of them feature direct attacks against Pope Francis, accusing him of serious "errors" in his teaching (e.g.in Amoris Letitia) or the legitimacy of his right or competency to speak to a universal moral obligation (e.g. in Laudato Si).
The exhortation in Ephesians points to the bonds of faith and to living "in a manner worthy of the call you have received." In a community as large as the Catholic Church, differences of opinion and interpretation seem inevitable. Some of the conflicts are really only matters of emphasis, others go to serious misunderstandings of sacramental and moral life. The role of church leadership was established by Jesus to guide the community toward the truth. This requires "humility and gentleness" which can be severely tested by the emotional commitment some folks bring to their understanding, even if misguided, of the faith. Keeping the words from Ephesians in mind can help us all, whether in political or religious matters, keep balance and love and peace at the center of our lives. AMEN
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