RBWords

     These two quotations reveal the debate that divided the early Christian community and led to a historic compromise.  The debate concerned the status of the Mosaic Law and its observance by Gentile converts to Christianity.  The details may be found in Acts 15.  St. Paul wrote before the Gospel According to Matthew was composed.  When the latter gospel took shape, the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Romans.  What was left of Judaism was "reorganized" around synagogue and Mosaic law.  Those Jews who accepted Jesus - the community Matthew addressed - would be concerned about what constituted Christian identity, since Jewish identity was based on observance of Mosaic law.  St. Paul, a former Pharisee and strict observant, argued that faith was the determining factor and not observance.  The compromise reached in Jerusalem freed those who had never been Jews from such things as circumcision and dietary rules (with a couple of exceptions that soon disappeared).  The Gospel According to Matthew assures Jewish converts that they may rely on Mosaic Law but Christ is the center of its purpose and not the observance of it per se.

     All of this may seem like ancient history except that we have seen a similar debate in our own Catholic community between "traditionalists" and "progressives" over observance of certain liturgical practices that were established by the Council of Trent (1545-1561).  These historical liturgical practices are seen by some as constituting the identity of the Church.  Others refer to certain catechisms (in the USA, the Baltimore Catechism) as the rule of life for all Catholics.  Theological and liturgical "litmus tests" abound in this debate.  The Second Vatican Council, for all its richness and vision, becomes the "St. Paul" and the Council of Trent (plus Vatican I on a couple of levels) becomes the "observant" party.  Where this will all end is anybody's guess, but we do know that St. Paul's vision prevailed in that dispute.  This may help us to have confidence in the outcome.  AMEN

[Note to the Beloved Congregation.  My scriptural consultant, Fr. Felix Just, SJ (a former student parishioner of mine and a scripture scholar) has called my attention to an error on my part in regard to the lectionary.  The daily gospel readings are not organized around the "Year of....." as in the Sunday 3 year cycle.  Instead, readings from all three gospels appear in the daily scriptures but organized around Weeks 1-9, 10-21, 22-34.  There IS some supplementing in the Sunday cycle but not the daily cycle.  I hope this clarifies matters somewhat!  I can always learn!]