From: Ephesians 4:7-11, 11-13
A Call to Unity
[11] And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets,
some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, [12] for the equipment
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of
Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the know-
edge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ.
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Commentary:
1-16. The second part of the letter points out certain practical conse-
quences of the teaching given earlier. The underlying theme of the
previous chapters was the revelation of the “mystery” of Christ—the
calling of all men, Gentiles and Jews, to form a single people, the
Church. The second part of the letter begins with an appeal to main-
tain the unity of the Church in the face of factors making for division—
internal discord (vv. 1-3), misuse of the different gifts or charisms
with which Christ endows individuals (v. 7), and the danger of being
led astray by heretical ideas (v. 14). Against this, St Paul teaches
that the Church’s unity is grounded on the oneness of God (vv. 4-6),
and that Christ acts with full authority in the building up of his body,
through its various ministries (vv. 8-13) and through its members’
solidarity (vv. 14-16).
1. The exhortation begins by stating a general principle: a Christian’s
conduct should be consistent with the calling he has received from
God.
Enormous consequences flow from the fact of being called to form part
of the Church through Baptism: “Being members of a holy nation,”
Monsignor Escriva says, “all the faithful have received a call to holiness,
and they must strive to respond to grace and to be personally holy [...].
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who founds the holy Church, expects the
members of this people to strive continually to acquire holiness. Not all
respond loyally to his call. And in the spouse of Christ there are seen, at
one and the same time, both the marvel of the way of salvation and the
shortcomings of those who take up that way” (”In Love with the Church”,
5-6).
Speaking about incorporation into the Church, which is the way of
salvation, Vatican II exhorts Catholics to “remember that their exalted
condition results, not from their own merits, but from the grace of
Christ. If they fail to respond in thought, word and deed to that grace,
not only shall they not be saved, but they shall be the more severely
judged (see Lk 12:48: ‘everyone to whom much is given, of him will
much be required’; cf. Mt 5:19-20; 7:21-22; 25:41-46; Jas 2:14)”
(”Lumen Gentium”, 14).
2-3. The virtues which the Apostle lists here are all different aspects
of charity which “binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Col
3:14) and is the mark of the true disciple of Christ (cf. Jn 13:35).
Charity originates not in man but in God: “it is a supernatural virtue
infused by God into our soul by which we love God above everything
else for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for love of God”
(”St Pius X Catechism”, 898). In its decree on ecumenism the Second
Vatican Council shows the perennial relevance of these words of St
Paul: “There can be no ecumenism worthy of the name without interior
conversion. For it is from interior renewal of mind (cf. Eph 4:23), from
self-denial and unstinted love, that desires of unity take their rise and
develop in a mature way. We should therefore pray to the Holy Spirit
for the grace to be genuinely self-denying, humble, gentle in the ser-
vice of others and to have an attitude of brotherly generosity toward
them” (”Unitatis Redintegratio”, 7).
Charity is basic to the building up of a peaceful human society. ‘The
consciousness of being trespassers against each other goes hand in
hand with the call to fraternal solidarity, which St Paul expressed in
his concise exhortation to ‘forbear one another in love’. What a lesson
of humility is to be found here with regard to man, with regard both to
one’s neighbor and to oneself! What a school of good will for daily
living, in the various conditions of our existence!” (John Paul II, “Dives
In Misericordia”, 14).
The peace which unites Christians is the peace which Christ brings, or
rather it is Christ himself (cf. 2:14). By having the same faith and the
same Spirit, “all find themselves”, says St John Chrysostom, “brought
together in the Church—old and young, poor and rich, adult and child,
husband and wife: people of either sex and of every condition become
one and the same, more closely united than the parts of a single body,
for the unity of souls is more intimate and more perfect than that of any
natural substance. However, this unity is maintained only by ‘the bond
of peace’. It could not exist in the midst of disorder and enmity.... This
is a bond which does not restrict us, which unites us closely to one
another and does not overwhelm us: it expands our heart and gives us
greater joy than we could ever have if we were unattached. He who is
strong is linked to the weaker one to carry him and prevent him from
falling and collapsing. Does the weak person feel weak?: the stronger
person tries to build up his strength. ‘A brother helped is like a strong
city’, says the wise man (Prov 18: 19)” (”Hom. on Eph, 9, ad loc”.).
Union of hearts, affections and intentions is the result of the action
of the Holy Spirit in souls, and it makes for effectiveness and
strength in apostolate.
“Do you see? One strand of wire entwined with another, many woven
tightly together, form that cable strong enough to lift huge weights.
“You and your brothers, with wills united to carry out God’s will, can
overcome all obstacles” (J. Escriva, “The Way”, 480).
4-6. To show the importance of unity in the Church, and the theological
basis of that unity, St Paul quotes an acclamation which may well have
been taken from early Christian baptismal liturgy. It implies that the
unity of the Church derives from the unicity of the divine essence. The
text also reflects the three persons of the Blessed Trinity who are at
work in the Church and who keep it together—one Spirit, one Lord, one
God and Father.
There is “only one” Holy Spirit, who brings about and maintains the
unity of Christ’s mystical body; and there is “only one” such body, the
Church: “After being lifted up on the cross and glorified, the Lord Jesus
pours forth the Spirit whom he had promised, and through whom he has
called and gathered together the people of the New Covenant, which
is the Church, into a unity of faith, hope and charity, as the Apostle
teaches us (Eph 4:4-5; Gal 3:27-28) [...] It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling
in believers and pervading and ruling over the entire Church, who brings
about that wonderful communion of the faithful and joins them together
so intimately in Christ, for he [the Spirit] is the principle of the
Church’s
unity” (Vatican II, “Unitatis Redintegratio”, 2). All—Gentiles as well as
Jews are called to join this Church; all, therefore, share the one single
hope—that of being saints which is implied in the vocation they have
received.
Recognition of there being only one Lord, who is head of the mystical
body, underlines the unity that should obtain among all the many
members of this single body. All its members are solidly built on
Christ when they confess “only one” faith—the faith that he taught and
which the Apostles and the Church have expressed in clear statements
of doctrine and dogma. “There can be only one faith; and so, if a person
refuses to listen to the Church, he should be considered, so the Lord
commands, as a heathen and a publican (cf. Mt 18:17)” (Pius XII,
“Mystici Corporis”, 10). All Christians have also received only one
Baptism, that is, a Baptism by means of which, after making a
profession of faith, they join the other members of the Church as their
equals. Since there is only “one Lord, one faith, one baptism,” “there
is a common dignity of members deriving from their rebirth in Christ, a
common grace as sons, a common vocation to perfection, one salvation,
one hope and undivided charity. In Christ and in the Church there is,
then, no inequality arising from race or nationality, social condition
or sex, for ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor
free; there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ
Jesus’ (Gal 3:28; cf. Col 3:11)” (Vatican II,”Lumen Gentium”, 32).
God, the Father of all, is, in the last analysis, the basis of the natural
unity of mankind. Pope Pius XII, after recalling that the sacred books
tell us that all the rest of mankind originated from the first man and
woman, and how all the various tribes and peoples grew up which are
scattered throughout the world, exclaimed, “This is a wonderful vision
which allows us to reflect on the unity of mankind: all mankind has a
common origin in the Creator, as we are told, ‘one God and father of
us all’ (Eph 4:6); moreover, all men and women share one and the
same nature: all have a material body and an immortal and spiritual
soul” (”Summi Pontificatus”, 18). God is “above all”: his lordship and
control over things means that he is the author and maintainer of their
unity. Throughout history he has acted “through all” his children, that
is, believers, whom he has used to bring about unity among men and
over all created things. And he dwells “in all” the faithful, for they
belong to him; even the deepest recesses of their hearts are his.
7. The diversity of graces or charisms which accompany the various
kinds of vocation given to members of the Church do not undermine
its unity; rather, they enhance it, because it is Christ himself who
bestows these gifts, as St Paul teaches in vv. 8-10. Christ also
provides the Church with ministers who devote themselves to building
up his body (vv. 11-12).
So just as there is a great variety of personality and situation, the
Church evidences many kinds of “charisms” or different ways of ac-
tually living out the calling to holiness which God addresses to all. “In
the Church”, John Paul II points out, “as the community of the people
of God under the guidance of the Holy Spirit’s working, each member
has ‘his own special gift’, as St Paul teaches (1 Cor 7:7). Although this
‘gift’ is a personal vocation and a form of participation in the Church’s
saving work, it also serves others, builds the Church and the fraternal
communities in the various spheres of human life on earth” (”Redemp-
tor Hominis”, 21).
11-12. The Apostle here refers to certain ministries or offices in the
Church, which are performed not only in a charismatic way, under the
influence of the Holy Spirit, but as an assignment or ministry
entrusted to the particular individual by the glorified Lord.
These ministries have to do with preaching (teaching) and government. In
1 Corinthians 12:27-30 and Romans 12:6-8, mention is made, alongside
ministries, of other charisms which complete the array of the gifts to
be found in the mystical body of Christ. St Paul here presents them as
gifts given by Christ, the head of his body, gifts which make for the
strengthening of its unity and love. In this connection, see the quotation
from “Lumen Gentium”, 7, in the note on 1:22-23 above. These graces
are provided by the Holy Spirit who, “distributing various kinds of
spiritual gifts and ministries (cf. 1 Cor 12:4-11), enriches the Church
of Jesus Christ with different functions in order to equip the saints for
the works of service (cf. Eph 4:12)” (”Unitatis Redintegratio”, 2).
In the list which St Paul gives the first to appear are apostles. These
may be the first apostles (including Paul himself) or a wider group (cf.
1 Cor 15:7; Rom 16:7) which includes others sent as missionaries to
establish new Christian communities. Alongside them (as in Eph 2:20;
3:5) come prophets, who are also the bed-rock of the Church, trustees
of revelation. Essentially a prophet was not someone “sent” but rather
one whose role was to “upbuild, encourage and console” (cf. 1 Cor 14:3;
Acts 13:1) and who normally stayed within a particular community. The
“evangelists” were others, who had not received a direct revelation but
who devoted themselves to preaching the Gospel which the apostles
had passed on to them (cf. Acts 21:8; 2 Tim 4:5). It may be that St
Paul mentions them here, along with apostles and prophets, because
it was evangelists who first preached the Gospel in Ephesus. The last
to be mentioned are pastors and teachers, whose role was that of
ruling and giving ongoing instruction to particular communities.
There is no necessary reason why the terminology used in apostolic
times for ministries in the Church should be the same as that used
nowadays; however, the ministries themselves do not change: “Guiding
the Church in the way of all truth (cf. Jn 16:13) and unifying her in
communion and in the works of ministry, the Holy Spirit bestows upon
her varied hierarchic and charismatic gifts, and in this way directs
her; and he adorns her with his fruits (cf. Eph 4: 12; 1 Cor 12:4; Gal
5:22)” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 4).
And, of course, all Christians have a responsibility to spread Christ’s
teaching, to cooperate in the Church’s work of catechesis. “Catechesis
always has been and always will be”, John Paul II teaches, “a work for
which the whole Church must feel responsible and must wish to be
responsible. But the Church’s members have different responsibilities,
derived from each one’s mission. Because of their charge, pastors have,
at differing levels, the chief responsibility for fostering, guiding and
coordinating catechesis [...]. Priests and religious have in catechesis
a preeminent field for their apostolate. On another level, parents have a
unique responsibility. Teachers, the various ministers of the Church,
catechists, and also organizers of social communications, all have in
various degrees very precise responsibilities in this education of the
believing conscience, an education that is important for the life of the
Church and affects the life of society as such” (”Catechesi Tradendae”,
16).
13. The building up of the body of Christ occurs to the extent that its
members strive to hold on to the truths of faith and to practice charity.
The “knowledge of the Son of God” refers not only to the object of faith
— which is basically the acceptance of Christ as true God and true man
— but also to a vital and loving relationship with him. A conscientious
approach to the personal obligations that faith implies is the mark of
maturity, whereas an undeveloped, childish personality is marked by
a certain instability.
As Christians develop in faith and love, they become more firmly
inserted into the body of Christ and make a greater contribution to its
development. In this way “mature manhood” is reached: this seems
to refer not to the individual Christian but rather to the “total Christ”
or “whole Christ” in St Augustine’s phrase, that is, all the members in
union with the head, Christ. “It is due to this communication of the
Spirit of Christ that all the gifts, virtues, and miraculous powers which
are found eminently, most abundantly, and fontally in the head, stream
into all the members of the Church and in them are perfected daily
according to the place of each in the mystical body of Jesus Christ;
and that, consequently, the Church becomes as it were the fullness
and completion of the Redeemer, Christ in the Church being in some
sense brought to complete achievement” (Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”,
34).
“The fullness of Christ” must mean the Church itself or Christians
incorporated into Christ; the “fullness” (”pleroma”) of a boat is the sum
total of the gear, crew and cargo which “fill” the boat, and mean it is
ready to weigh anchor. “As members of the living Christ, incorporated
into him and made like him by Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist,
all the faithful have an obligation to collaborate in the spreading and
growth of his body, so that they might bring it to fullness as soon as
possible” (Vatican II, “Ad Gentes”, 36).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Matthew 9:9-13
The Call of Matthew
[10] And as He sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners
came and sat down with Jesus and His disciples. [11] And when the Pharisees
saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collec-
tors and sinners?” [12] But when He heard it, He said, “Those who are well have
no need of a physician, but those who are sick. [13] Go and learn what this
means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous,
but sinners.”
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Commentary:
9. “Tax office”: a public place for the payment of taxes. On “following Jesus”,
see the note on Matthew 8:18-22.
The Matthew whom Jesus calls here is the Apostle of the same name and the
human author of the first Gospel. In Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27 he is called Levi
the son of Alphaeus or simply Levi.
In addition to Baptism, through which God calls all Christians (cf. note on Mat-
thew 8:18-22), the Lord can also extend, to whomever He chooses, a further
calling to engage in some specific mission in the Church. This second calling
is a special grace (cf. Matthew 4:19-21; Mark 1:17-20; John 1:30; etc.) additio-
nal to the earlier calling through Baptism. In other words, it is not man who
takes the initiative; it is Jesus who calls, and man who responds to this call by
his free personal decision: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John
15:16).
Matthew’s promptitude in “following” Jesus’ call is to be noted. When God
speaks, soul may be tempted to reply, “Tomorrow; I’m not ready yet.” In the
last analysis this excuse, and other excuses, are nothing but a sign of selfish-
ness and fear (different from that fear which can be an additional symptom of
vocation: cf. John 1). “Tomorrow” runs the risk of being too late.
As in the case of the other Apostles, St. Matthew is called in the midst of the
ordinary circumstances of his life: “What amazes you seems natural to me:
that God has sought you out in the practice of your profession! That is how He
sought the first, Peter and Andrew, James and John, beside their nets, and Mat-
thew, sitting in the custom-house. And—wonder of wonders!—Paul, in his eager-
ness to destroy the seed of the Christians” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 799).
10-11. The attitude of these Pharisees, who are so prone to judge others and
classify them as just men or sinners, is at odds with the attitude and teaching
of Jesus. Earlier on, He said, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew
7:1), and elsewhere He added, “Let him who is without sin among you be the
first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7).
The fact is that all of us are sinners; and our Lord has come to redeem all of
us. There is no basis, therefore, for Christians to be scandalized by the sins of
others, since any one of us is capable of committing the vilest of sins unless
God’s grace comes to our aid.
12. There is no reason why anyone should be depressed when he realizes he is
full of failings: recognition that we are sinners is the only correct attitude for us
to have in the presence of God. He has come to seek all men, but if a person
considers himself to be righteous, by doing so he is closing the door to God; all
of us in fact are sinners.
13. Here Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6, keeping the hyperbole of the Semitic style.
A more faithful translation would be: “I desire mercy MORE THAN sacrifice”. It
is not that our Lord does not want the sacrifices we offer Him: He is stressing
that every sacrifice should come from the heart, for charity should imbue every-
thing a Christian does—especially his worship of God (see 1 Corinthians 13:1-13;
Matthew 5:23-24).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.