Word to the Wise
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 - 3rd Week of Lent - Wed
[Deut 4:1, 5-9 and Matt 5:17-19]"For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statues and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?" [Deuteronomy] "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." [Matthew]
The passages from Deuteronomy and the Gospel According to Matthew reflect the consciousness of Jews in Jesus' day (and perhaps today as well) that the Law of Moses was given to them by God who had chosen them from all the nations on earth as a people "peculiarly His own." This combination of respect for the law and a feeling of exceptionalism can be found in the cultural fiber of our own country, the USA! There is a museum in our nation's capital which houses original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution. They are literally enshrined in special display cabinets.
There is some of this law and exceptionalism at work in our own Catholic Church when we hear the expression, "the one true church of Christ." The value of respect for law and a pride in one's historical and continual fidelity to the faith is important, but it can also lead to arrogance and notions of superiority. Occasionally what Abraham Lincoln called "the better angels of our nature," can be embarrassed by our failures to live up to the faith and law that we take so much pride in. Our history as a Catholic church and a nation challenge us to pay more attention to those "better angels." Lent is a great time to do that, but it is a year-round effort. AMEN