Word to the Wise
Sunday, August 17, 2025 - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C [2010: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary]
[Jer 38:4-6, 8-10; Heb 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53]"Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." [Luke]
One of the consistent themes in all four of the gospels is the warning that preaching faith in Jesus Christ will arouse opposition. But that opposition would, at that time, be between Christian and non-Christian. What is more difficult but all too common is opposition between Christians! That opposition can reach into families and cause division! Religious identity can be as strong, if not stronger, than political or socio-cultural identity and can be the cause of violent conflict!
On a pastoral level, I have encountered this in pre-marital preparation counseling, or in desire on the part of a student to enter the Catholic communion from a particularly evangelical (and sometimes anti-Catholic) Christian community. In some countries there are laws prohibiting any effort to attract converts to Christianity, let alone to the Catholic tradition. Within the Catholic community there are divisions over liturgical observance that led one American bishop to accuse Pope Francis of "endangering the faith" because of this.
The scandal of division in Christianity is a huge problem that even a pulpit as big as the papacy has not been able to end. "Ecumenism" has made some strides in finding "common ground" but those are often on high theological topics and do not reach the grass roots of religious identity. We still have a long way to go. We Catholics need to get our own house in order in the U.S.A.!!! Praying for unity is one place to start, but acting for it has to happen as well. AMEN