Word to the Wise
Thursday, October 19, 2017 - Thursday in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time
[Rom 3:21-30 and Luke 11:47-54]THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2017 ST. JOHN DE BREBEUF, ST. ISAAC JOGUES, AND COMPANIONS For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Does God belong to Jews alone? Does he not belong to Gentiles, too? Yes, also to Gentiles, for God is one and will justify the circumcised on the basis of faith and the uncircumcised through faith. [Romans] St. Paul was writing to the Jewish community in Rome, but he had been preaching to Gentile communities for some time before he wrote this letter, which reflects his matured reflection. He was a zealous Jew who had been a bounty hunter to capture Christians! At the heart of his conversion was the realization that his relationship to God did not depend on his observance of the Mosaic Law but on his faith in God. External behavior would be merely the reflection of this faith, and not the cause of it. Thus, when his initial preaching met with stiff resistance from his fellow Jews, he turned his attention to non-Jews [Gentiles], where he had great success. Nevertheless, as the Letter to the Romans will indicate, he did not consider himself to be non-Jewish! The tension between faith and its external observance is at the foundation of the Church. St. Paul's insight remains with us. Luther's complaint about the over-mechanizing of spiritual life through distorted sacramental and devotional practices is still one that we need to play attention to. When we get too caught up in legalisms and liturgical exactitude, we can lose sight of the original purpose of our worship and Church practices, namely faith in Jesus and his teachings. If we are not careful, we can find ourselves substituting the Catechism and the Code of Canon Law for the Scriptures that they are meant to serve. Pope Francis' ministry is touching on this tension, which is why he seems controversial to some. Jesus' words to the scribes and Pharisees remain a warning: "Go and learn the meaning of these words, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'" [Matt. 9:13]. AMEN
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