Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 09-09-04, Memorial, St. Peter Claver, priest

From: 1 Corinthians 8:1b-7, 11-13

Idols Have No Real Existence

[1b] "Knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. [2] If any one imagines
that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.
[3] But if one loves God, one is known by him.

[4] Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "an
idol has no real existence," and that "there is no God but one."
[5] For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth--as
indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"--[6] yet for us there is
one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through
whom we exist.

Not Scandalizing the Weak

[7] However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through being
hitherto accustomed to idols, eat food as really offered to an idol;
and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. [11] And so by your
knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.
[12] Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience
when it is weak, you sin against Christ. [13] Therefore, if food is a
cause of my brother's falling, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my
brother to fall.

Commentary:

8:1-10:31. In these chapters St Paul deals with food offered to idols.
In pagan religions a portion of the sacrificial food went to the
donors, who could consume it in the temple itself (cf. 1 Cor 8:10), or
take it home. The meat could also be sold in the market. For some
Christians this posed no problem; but for others--who were afraid that
by eating this meat they were in some way taking part in the idolatrous
worship from which it came (cf. 8:7} various practical questions arose:
when buying meat, ought they to ask where it came from? (cf. 10:25-26);
could they accept invitations to meals at which food of this type might
be served? (cf. 10:27ff). The Council of Jerusalem, which took place
around 48-50, had written to the Christians of Antioch, Syria and
Cilicia telling them to abstain from food which had been sacrificed to
idols (cf. Acts 15:23-29). When St Paul was preaching in Corinth two
years later, he probably did not say anything on this subject, given
the very pagan environment of that city--very different from the
experience of the communities the Council had been addressing: if the
faithful at Corinth had to avoid meat of this kind, they should have
had to isolate themselves from their fellow-citizens.

In replying to the questions put to him, the Apostle first explains the
general principles that apply: they may eat meat of this type, for
idols have no real existence (8:1-6), but sometimes charity requires
that they do abstain from it (8:7-13); he illustrates what he says by
quoting what he himself does (9:1-27) and lessons drawn from the
history of Israel (10:1-13); and, finally, he deals with particular
queries the Corinthians have raised (10:14-33).

1-6. Clearly, idols are mere things and therefore food sacrificed to
them can be eaten without any qualms (10:25-27). But some Christians
did not yet grasp this, and they were being shocked to see other
Christians eating this food (cf. 8:7-13). so, St Paul again reminds the
Corinthians (cf. 1: 18-34) that they must not rely on their "knowledge"
unless it be accompanied by charity. "The source of all the Corinthians'
problems", St John Chrysostom comments, "was not their lack of
knowledge but their lack of charity and lack of concern for their
neighbor. This was the cause of the divisions in that church, the
cause of the vanity which was blinding them and of all the disorder
for which the Apostle has censured them and will censure them. He will
often speak to them about charity, and try to clarify, so to speak, the
fount of all good things [...]. Have love: that way your knowledge will
not lead you astray. I should like your knowledge to outstrip that of
your brethren. If you love them, far from being aloof and looking down
on them, you will strive to have them share your insights" ("Hom. on 1
Cor, 20, ad loc.").

3. "One is known by him [God]": that is, God has recognized him as one
of his own, God is pleased with him: it is almost the same as "God has
called him", "God has chosen him".

4-6. St Paul reminds the Corinthians, who were living in a pagan and
polytheistic environment, of the first and basic truth of the Christian
creed: there is only one true God. Even though the idols which pagans
worship were called "gods" (as in Greek mythology) or "lords" (as
heroes or divinized emperors were described), they were such only in
the imagination of men. The only one who really merits these titles is
the living and true God who is revealed to us in Sacred Scripture as
One and Three.

6. Both the Father and the Son are God and Lord: "Just as St Paul does
not take from the Father the rank of Lord, when he says that the Son is
the only Lord, so he is not denying the Son the rank of God, when he
says that the Father is the one and only God" (St John Chrysostom,
"Hom. on 1 Cor, 20, ad loc.") In fact the title "Lord" is used with
reference to God; so, calling Jesus Christ "Lord" is the same as
calling him "God"; besides, what the Apostle here says of the Father,
he attributes elsewhere to the Son; and vice versa (cf., e.g., Rom
11:36; Eph 4:5-6; Col 16-17; Heb 2:10). Creation is something that is
done by all three divine persons of the Blessed Trinity, and the
Blessed Trinity is also the end or goal of all created things (cf.
Fourth Council of the Lateran, "De Fide Catholica", chap 1).

Although St Paul does not mention the Holy Spirit in this passage, he
does speak of him elsewhere in the letter (cf. 2:10ff; 6:19-20).

7-13. Charity requires that one abstain from food sacrificed to idols,
if eating can cause scandal to others, can be "a stumbling block to
the weak" (v. 9). The Apostle's teaching is clear: if there is any
danger of scandalizing someone for whom Christ has died, "I will never
eat meat" (v. 13; cf. similar teaching in Rom 14:14-23).

The scandal caused to those Christians is an example of what is called
giving "scandal to the weak", whereby an action in itself good or
indifferent can lead others into sin because of their ignorance,
weakness or poor understanding of the faith. In such cases also one
should, out of charity, try to avoid giving scandal (cf. note on Rom
14:13-21).

11-13. St Paul emphasizes the gravity of the scandal given by those
Corinthians who in the blindness of their pride failed to realize the
harm they were doing to other brothers in the faith: they might lead
into perdition someone "for whom Christ died"; our Lord sacrificed
himself on the cross for each and every person in every generation.
"How precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he 'gained so
great a Redeemer' ("Exsultet" at the Easter Vigil), and if God 'gave us
his only son' in order that man 'should not perish but have eternal
life' (cf. Jn 3:16)" (John Paul II, "Redemptor Hominis" 10). One should
never lose sight of the immense value of every individual, a value
which can be deduced especially from the price paid for him--the death
of Christ. "For every soul is a wonderful treasure; every person is
unique and irreplaceable. Every single person is worth all the blood
of Christ" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 80).

The Apostle also points out that by giving scandal "you sin against
Christ": our Lord himself said this: "as you did it to one of the least
of these my brethren you did it to me" (Mt 25:40; cf. 25:45); this was
something deeply engraved on Paul's soul ever since the time, when he
was persecuting Christians, he heard Jesus say to him, "Why do you
persecute me?" (Acts 9:4). The Christian should always see Christ in
others.

From this it follows logically that, if necessary, as he says, "I will
never eat meat." One must be ready for any sacrifice if the salvation
of a soul is at stake.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Luke 6:27-38

Love of Enemies

[27] "But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those
who hate you, [28] bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse
you. [29] To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also;
and from him who takes away your cloak do not withhold your coat as
well. [30] Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes
away your goods do not ask them again. [31] And as you wish that men
would do to you, do so to them.

[32] "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For
even sinners love those who love them. [33] And if you do good to
those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners
do the same. [34] And if you lend to those from whom you hope to
receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to
receive as much again. [35] But love your enemies, and do good, and
lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and
you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and
the selfish. [36] Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

[37] "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will
not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; [38] give, and it
will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together,
running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will
be the measure you get back."

Commentary:

27. "In loving our enemies there shines forth in us some likeness to
God our Father, who, by the death of His Son, ransomed from everlasting
perdition and reconciled to Himself the human race, which previously
was most unfriendly and hostile to Him" ("St. Pius V Catechism", IV,
14, 19). Following the example of God our Father, we must desire for
everyone (even those who say they are our enemies) eternal life, in the
first place; additionally, a Christian has a duty to respect and
understand everyone without exception, because of his or her intrinsic
dignity as a human person, made in the image and likeness of the
Creator.

28. Jesus Christ teaches us by example that this is a real precept and
not just a pious recommendation; even when nailed to the cross He
prayed to His Father for those who had brought Him to such a pass:
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Lk 23:34). In
imitation of the Master, St Stephen, the first martyr of the Church,
when he was being stoned, prayed to our Lord not to hold the sin
against his persecutors (cf. Acts 7:60). In the liturgy of Good Friday
the Church offers prayers and suffrages to God on behalf of those
outside the Church, asking Him to give them the grace of faith; to
release from their ignorance those who do not know Him; to give Jews
the light to the truth; to bring non-Catholic Christians, linked by
true charity, into full communion with our Mother the Church.

29. Our Lord gives us more examples to show us how we should act if we
want to imitate the mercy of God. The first has to do with one of what
are traditionally called the "spiritual works of mercy"--forgiving
injuries and being patient with other people's defects. This is what
He means in the first instance about turning the other cheek.

To understand what our Lord is saying here, St. Thomas comments that
"Sacred Scripture needs to be understood in the light of the example of
Christ and the saints. Christ did not offer the cheek to be struck in
the house of Annas (Jn 18:22ff), nor did St. Paul when, as we are told
in the Acts of the Apostles, he was beaten in Philippi (Acts 16:22f).
Therefore, we should not take it that Christ literally meant that you
should offer the other cheek to some to hit you; what He was referring
to was your interior disposition; that is, if necessary we should be
ready not to be intolerant of anyone who hurts us, and we should be
ready to put up with this kind of treatment, or worse than that. That
was how the Lord acted when He surrendered His body to death"
("Commentary on St John", 18, 37).

36. The model of mercy which Christ sets before us is God Himself, of
whom St. Paul says, 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us
in all our afflictions" (2 Cor 1:3-4). "The first quality of this
virtue", Fray Luis de Granada explains, "is that it makes men like God
and like the most glorious thing in Him, His mercy (Lk 6:36). For
certainly the greatest perfection a creature can have is to be like his
Creator, and the more like Him he is, the more perfect he is.
Certainly one of the things which is most appropriate to God is mercy,
which is what the Church means when it says that prayer: 'Lord God, to
whom it is proper to be merciful and forgiving...'. It says that this
is proper to God, because just as a creature, as creature, is
characteristically poor and needy (and therefore characteristically
receives and does not give), so, on the contrary, since God is
infinitely rich and powerful, to Him alone does it belong to give and
not to receive, and therefore it is appropriate for Him to be merciful
and forgiving" ("Book of Prayer and Meditation", third part, third
treatise).

This is the rule a Christian should apply: be compassionate towards
other people's afflictions as if they were one's own, and try to remedy
them. The Church spells out this rule by giving us a series of
corporal works of mercy (visiting and caring for the sick, giving food
to the hungry, drink to the thirsty...) and spiritual works of mercy
(teaching the ignorant, correcting the person who has erred, forgiving
injuries...): cf. "St Pius X Catechism", 944f.

We should also show understanding towards people who are in error:
"Love and courtesy of this kind should not, of course, make us
indifferent to truth and goodness. Love, in fact, impels the followers
of Christ to proclaim to all men the truth which saves. But we must
distinguish between the error (which must always be rejected) and the
person in error, who never loses his dignity as a person even though he
flounders amid false or inadequate religious ideas. God alone is the
judge and searcher of hearts; He forbids us to pass judgment on the
inner guilt of others" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 28).

38. We read in Sacred Scripture of the generosity of the widow of
Zarephath, whom God asked to give food to Elijah the prophet even
though she had very little left; He then rewarded her generosity by
constantly renewing her supply of meal and oil (1 kings 17:9ff). The
same sort of thing happened when the boy supplied the five loaves and
two fish which our Lord multiplied to feed a huge crowd of people (cf.
Jn 6:9)--a vivid example of what God does when we give Him whatever we
have, even if it does not amount to much.

God does not let Himself be outdone in generosity: "Go, generously and
like a child ask Him, 'What can You mean to give me when You ask me for
"this"?'" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 153). However much we give God in
this life, He will give us more in life eternal.

FEAST OF THE DAY

St. Peter Claver was born in Spain in the year 1581 and joined the
Jesuit order as a young man and was ordained to the priesthood in
1615. In 1610, Peter left his homeland of Spain to become a
missionary in the Americas, he never returned home. St. Peter
arrived in the Americas at the port of Cartagena in what is now
Columbia. At this time Cartagena was one of the major centers of
slave trade in the New World. When Peter Claver landed, he was
struck by the plight of the slaves and decided to devote the rest of
his life to them, calling himself "the slave of the slaves forever."

Peter decided to help the slaves in any way he could. Peter first
ministered to their physical needs, then he ministered to their
spiritual needs. When a new ship of slaves came into harbor, Peter
would board it, go into the hold, and help the slaves. He started by
giving them food, including bread and fruit, and drink, administered
medicine to those who needed it, and offering brandy and tobacco to
those who wanted it. Once physical needs were attended to, he
began serving the slaves spiritually. Through interpreters, he
instructed them in the faith, teaching about human dignity and God's
saving love, he would then baptize the saves into the Catholic faith.
In this way, he helped more than 300,000 souls.

After the slaves left the ships and were sold, he still worked to help
them. He visited the plantations to continue teaching and to help
physical needs, and he served as a thorn in the conscience of
people dealing with the slave trade reminding them of their moral
duties to fellow humans. After a drawn out sickness, Peter died on
September 8, 1654. St. Peter Claver was canonized in 1888 by Pope
Leo XIII. He is the patron of Columbia, and missionary work to black
peoples.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

We must speak to them with our hands before we speak to them with
our lips. -St. Peter Claver

TODAY IN HISTORY

438 Death of St. Issac the Great
1224 Franciscan friars land in England
1585 Pope Sixtus V deprives Henry of Navarre of his right to the French
Crown

TODAY'S TIDBIT

An annulment is a decree issued by an appropriate Church authority
or tribunal that rules that a sacrament or ecclesiastical act is invalid
and therefore lacking in all legal or canonical consequences.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray, through the intercession of St. Peter the "slave of the
slaves" for all who are enslaved to any addiction.

American Cathlic's Saint of the Day

September 9, 2004

St. Peter Claver

(1581-1654)

A native of Spain, young Jesuit Peter Claver left his homeland forever in 1610 to be a missionary in the colonies of the New World. He sailed into Cartagena (now in Colombia), a rich port city washed by the Caribbean. He was ordained there in 1615.

By this time the slave trade had been established in the Americas for nearly 100 years, and Cartagena was a chief center for it. Ten thousand slaves poured into the port each year after crossing the Atlantic from West Africa under conditions so foul and inhuman that an estimated one-third of the passengers died in transit. Although the practice of slave-trading was condemned by Pope Paul III and later labeled "supreme villainy" by Pius IX, it continued to flourish.

Peter Claver's predecessor, Jesuit Father Alfonso de Sandoval, had devoted himself to the service of the slaves for 40 years before Claver arrived to continue his work, declaring himself "the slave of the Negroes forever."

As soon as a slave ship entered the port, Peter Claver moved into its infested hold to minister to the ill-treated and miserable passengers. After the slaves were herded out of the ship like chained animals and shut up in nearby yards to be gazed at by the crowds, Claver plunged in among them with medicines, food, bread, brandy, lemons and tobacco. With the help of interpreters he gave basic instructions and assured his brothers and sisters of their human dignity and God's saving love. During the 40 years of his ministry, Claver instructed and baptized an estimated 300,000 slaves.

His apostolate extended beyond his care for slaves. He became a moral force, indeed, the apostle of Cartagena. He preached in the city square, gave missions to sailors and traders as well as country missions, during which he avoided, when possible, the hospitality of the planters and owners and lodged in the slave quarters instead.

After four years of sickness which forced the saint to remain inactive and largely neglected, he died on September 8, 1654. The city magistrates, who had previously frowned at his solicitude for the black outcasts, ordered that he should be buried at public expense and with great pomp.

He was canonized in 1888, and Pope Leo XIII declared him the worldwide patron of missionary work among black slaves.

Comment:

The Holy Spirit's might and power are manifested in the striking decisions and bold actions of Peter Claver. A decision to leave one's homeland never to return reveals a gigantic act of will difficult for the contemporary mind to imagine. Peter's determination to serve forever the most abused, rejected and lowly of all people is stunningly heroic. When we measure our lives against such a man's, we become aware of our own barely used potential and of our need to open ourselves more to the jolting power of Jesus' Spirit.

Quote:

Peter Claver understood that concrete service like the distributing of medicine, food or brandy to his black brothers and sisters could be as effective a communication of the word of God as mere verbal preaching. As Peter Claver often said, "We must speak to them with our hands before we try to speak to them with our lips."

The Word Among Us

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Meditation
Luke 6:27-38

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. (Luke 6:27-28)

This has always been a challenging message to hear. Loving our enemies is never easy. But this command from Jesus became especially charged with meaning three years ago when, just as these very words were being proclaimed at Masses throughout the world, nearly three thousand people were killed in terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and western Pennsylvania. On that day, people all over the world were challenged to bless and not curse.

In two days, we will be observing the third anniversary of what has come to be called simply 9/11. If we look around us, we may be tempted to think that things are only getting worse. Since that horrible day, we have seen similar attacks all around the world: at a nightclub in Bali, at synagogues in Istanbul, and on passenger trains in Madrid, to name just a few. And then there is the war in Iraq and its tortured aftermath, as well as a frightening increase in violence and tension in the Holy Land.

All these sad events can cause us to live in fear or to let anger and vengeance rule our hearts. Yet Jesus continues to speak clearly and tenderly. Forgive those who persecute you; love those who hate you. As impossible as the calling seems, God is not asking us to do something he has not equipped us for. Rather, he is inviting us—even challenging us—to let his love break through walls of division and hatred in our hearts. He is asking us to lay down our sense of hurt or fear so that he can replace it with his mercy and blessing.

As we approach the third anniversary of 9/11, let’s be proactive. Let’s join together today in a prayer of forgiveness, asking God to overcome all hatred and enmity. Even if we don’t feel completely merciful, we can still pray, asking God to change our hearts as well. May we never underestimate the power these prayers can have!

“Father, as one people we ask you to heal all hatred and division. Together as your children, we want to follow Jesus by blessing all who have hurt us, forgiving all who have sinned against us, and showing love to those who hate us. Come, Lord, and make us one!”

One Bread, One Body

All Issues > Volume 20, Number 5

<< Thursday, September 9, 2004 >>

St. Peter Claver (USA)

1 Corinthians 8:1-7, 11-13

Psalm 139

Luke 6:27-38

View Readings

HOW TO LOVE YOUR ENEMIES LAVISHLY

“Love your enemies.” —Luke 6:27

Jesus commanded His followers: “To you who hear Me, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Lk 6:27). A few verses later, Jesus repeated: “Love your enemy and do good” (Lk 6:35). This may be the use of the literary device called an inclusion. Ancient texts had no paragraphs. An inclusion is one way the author could indicate when the treatment of a subject begins and ends. The use of an inclusion greatly affects the interpretation of these verses.

Jesus may be commanding us to show our love to our enemies more than we show it to our friends. We may be called to lavishly love our enemies who have not repented but are presently hurting us. They continue to hate (Lk 6:27), curse, maltreat (Lk 6:28), and slap us (Lk 6:29). They may be even presently stealing from us (Lk 6:29). We as followers of Jesus are at the same time to love them by doing them good (Lk 6:27), blessing and praying for them (Lk 6:28), and even make it easier for them to hurt us and steal from us (Lk 6:29). We are to give to all these enemies (Lk 6:30) and even give them loans without expecting repayment (Lk 6:34).

This interpretation of these verses would seem absurd but for Paul’s admonition: “ ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; by doing this you will heap burning coals upon his head.’ Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good” (Rm 12:20-21). Ultimately, this interpretation seems confirmed by Jesus’ death on the cross. When Jesus was crucified, He poured out infinite love and mercy on His enemies — many of whom would never repent.

By His grace, love your enemies as Jesus does.

Prayer: Father, may I live the radical way which my new life in Baptism makes possible.

Promise: “The measure you measure with will be measured back to you.” —Lk 6:38

Praise: St. Peter Claver heard as many as 5,000 confessions a year.

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