Word to the Wise
Friday, May 15, 2020 - 5th Week of Easter - Fri
[Acts 15:22-31 and John 15:12-17]'It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right." [Acts]
These words constitute a historical moment in the history of Christianity. They represent a decision on the part of the apostles and other original leaders in the Jerusalem community to reach out to non-Jewish persons with the gospel. There were some in that original community who believed that to be Christian meant to continue to be Jewish but with the acceptance of Jesus as the messiah. They were preaching this requirement outside Jerusalem, especially in Antioch, a mixed community of Jews and non-Jews. The tension between them and Paul and Barnabas led to a showdown in Jerusalem. The result was a very minimal requirement in dietary observance and in marital arrangements. Even these disappeared later on. What is important is that non-Jews ultimately became the vast majority of Christians and thus the faith spread throughout the Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern regions. We stand on the shoulders of this decision today!!!
There is a warning to us contained in this history. Catholicism is a tapestry of creed, sacrament and custom. The danger to evangelization is that custom takes on an equal role to creed and sacrament to the point that if one does not observe certain customs, one is considered unworthy or a "bad Catholic." It is essential that we know the difference between what is required and what is pious practice or custom lest we demand adherence to the latter before any deep acquaintance with the former!!! Many of us have experienced the difference if we go to a Catholic church in another culture than our own and observe gestures and devotions that may seem strange to us but which are ordinary to the local folks.
None of this is meant to say that pious devotions and practices are wrong. As long as they are founded on sound theological teaching, the church will recognize and recommend them in an appropriate way. The rosary would be a good example. This seems an almost universal devotion in the western Church but it is not required of any Catholic that they pray that way!!! The Divine Mercy devotion, promoted by Pope St. John Paul II, has become very popular, but it is not required of any Catholic that they accept it. We have a precious freedom in this regard and should respect that same freedom in others. AMEN