Word to the Wise
Tuesday, September 11, 2018 - Tuesday in the 23th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Cor 6:1-11 and Luke 6:12-19]TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 TUESDAY IN THE TWENTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [1 Corinthians 6:1-11 and Luke 6:12-19] Jesus departed to the mountain to pray and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, who he also named Apostles. [Luke] In the midst of all the turmoil that we are experiencing in regard to our episcopal leadership, the list of the apostles in the Gospel According to Luke can give us pause. Peter was an impulsive character who could make rash promises or resort to violence. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, harbored ambitions of high places in the forthcoming “kingdom.” Matthew was a tax collector - a class of people who are never popular. Thomas and Bartholomew (a/k/a Nathanael) were skeptics. Judas Iscariot would turn traitor for money. Yet, Jesus chose them to be the foundation of the future church. There is no question that current events are showing that the choice of those who will lead our parishes, dioceses and even the Pope is a very human process that can be subject to serious problems of influence or ambition. Even a superficial reading of church history teaches us that. The damage that can be caused caused by poor choices is enormous, but the process remains a very human one that the Holy Spirit has to work with. Our own national experience with our secular democratic system provides us with daily examples. The Holy Spirit had to do hard work to put the apostles and other disciples in the position of becoming saints. Our current experiences may be frustrating, enraging and depressing, but I put my confidence in the Holy Spirit to guide our very human church through to a better time. Remembering what a motley crew that even Jesus chose reminds me of that. AMEN
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