Reading I Responsorial Psalm GospelPosted on 09/12/2002 6:15:03 AM PDT by Salvation
Reading I Responsorial Psalm GospelReading I
1 Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13
Brothers and sisters:
Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.
If anyone supposes he knows something,
he does not yet know as he ought to know.
But if one loves God, one is known by him.
So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols:
we know that there is no idol in the world,
and that there is no God but one.
Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth
(there are, to be sure, many "gods" and many "lords"),
yet for us there is
one God, the Father,
from whom all things are and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things are and through whom we exist.
But not all have this knowledge.
There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now
that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols,
their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.
Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction,
the brother for whom Christ died.
When you sin in this way against your brothers
and wound their consciences, weak as they are,
you are sinning against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin,
I will never eat meat again,
so that I may not cause my brother to sin.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 23-24
R (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O Lord, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Probe me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts;
See if my way is crooked,
and lead me in the way of old.
R Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Gospel
Lk 6:27-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
"To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
"Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you."
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| Thursday, September 12, 2002 Meditation 1 Corinthians 8:1-7,11-13 The words “true love” often conjure up romantic notions of the “Romeo and Juliet” sort. This kind of love is perpetually passionate, dreamily selfless, and unwaveringly happy. It sets hearts fluttering and gives lovers the courage to do the unthinkable.
That’s all very poetic, but it doesn’t always fit with the realities of day-to-day life. By contrast, Jesus defines love by talking about decisions more than emotions, by commanding his followers to choose to be generous, selfless, and merciful (Luke 6:27-38). Trying to live just one day in the cheerfulness of the idealistic love described above would be rather exhausting and may not empower us to forgive and embrace our enemies—which is the height of godly love.
Paul faced the demands of love head-on with the Corinthian church. Among the issues that threatened the unity and love of the Corinthians was the question of food offered to idols. Some Corinthians, considering themselves gifted with special knowledge, argued that since idols do not exist, there could be no harm in eating meat offered to them. True enough, Paul replied, but these people were so impressed with their “knowledge” that they couldn’t see how their actions might scandalize those who had come out of idol-worship and were still making the adjustment to Christian freedom. Paul had to remind them that love, not knowledge, unites. As he said later in his letter, “If I understand all mysteries and all knowledge but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2).
God calls us to subordinate all things, including our knowledge, to the reign of Christ, which is founded on love. Of course education and learning are good, but to focus on what we know to the exclusion of love leads to misunderstanding and division.
Every time we open our hearts to Jesus and his love for us, we can become forces of unity and reconciliation. We can bless our enemies, show kindness when we are otherwise busy, share our goods with the needy, and do so much more. In the end, it is more important that we are known by God than that we know many things. And Scripture promises that “if one loves God, one is known by him” (1 Corinthians 8:3).
“Jesus, let your selfless love inspire me to be a generous receiver so that I can become a generous giver as well.” |
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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" (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.
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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.
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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"?'" (J. Escriva, "The Way", 153). However much we give God in this life, He will give us more in life eternal.
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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.
As I was ironing my kids clothes for school this morning, I had on the EWTN Mass. The homily was incredible on forgiveness - I think EWTN rebroadcasts the Mass at 12 Noon, 7 PM and Midnight (my time, EST) - and please try to catch the homily which started 15 minutes after the Mass and lasted for 15 minutes - it was so "filling" and eloquent. I might even try to catch it again myself. Just one of those times that a homily really grabs you and you see the light.
I thought about this too, praying for the hijackers and all who wished harm upon the United States. It was difficult just to think about it.
Meanwhile, back at the farm, how about all of us doing a little praying for those posters throughout the Catholic Caucus who now and then present a side of the enemy. (Notice I did not say always.)
I also liked the part in the reflection from the Navarre Bible about leading the faithful astray. Something to think about, that's for sure.
How did your encounter with your priest and pastoral associate nun come out? I could tell you were a little tense about it. And I have to apologize because I never did get stuff typed into the thread on "The Tabernacle" for you.
Please forgive me.
But how do I know when I have? When I stop thinking about the ways I have been hurt? I don't know ... I try, and I think I do a good job, and then wham, I'm back to being upset because of something she said.
With the hijackers, to say you forgive is easier because I've never met them, I don't see them on a daily basis. I try and tell myself that Satan was using them for an evil act, that they were brainwashed and used. But if I saw one, would I still be angry and sad? Does that mean I haven't forgiven them? It's easy to say I have forgiven someone, and I might even think I have, but how do we know for sure? That's why I pray regularly for God to help me forgive others, because that is a major stumbling block for me in the road to Heaven.
I believe that a nation has a right to defend itself against hostilities because the nation has a moral obligation to protect its citizens from harm. But at the same time, we can and should pray that President Bush and others show mercy where warranted, work for peace with the people while at war with the violent who wish to destroy America.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. Forgiveness is a powerful topic that I think we could post a thousand threads and not completely understand. I'm interested in what other people have to say.
God bless!
Well, the whole thing started because the pa nun (doing the priests job, IMO - but that is another topic!) ran a blurb in the church bulletin regarding a meeting being held by "Voice of the Faithful," which encouraged parishioners to attend. So I called the nun and asked her about VOTF and the things about them that bother me. We talked and that is how the conversation about the tabernacle, counting the communion wafers, etc., started. When I got off of the telephone, I realized that my parish is really starting to veer off (left) - worse than before. So, I contacted the Catholic League, Faithful Voice (new orthodox group formed as a group of faithful Catholic seeking to counter VOTF's message with their own message of faithful obedience to the Church even as they seek healing from errors and misdeeds of Her sons and daughters), and a priest from the Archdiocese of Boston who works with the Cardinal. I explained my concerns and asked for "back up" at the coming VOTF meeting so that I wouldn't be the only "faithful voice" there. What happened is that the priest from the archdiocese called the priests involved with sponsoring the meeting, the FV pr person called each priest and explained the misgivings that orthodox Catholics have with VOTF and some of the real dissention coming from VOTF and she actually scheduled a meeing with the priest who is sponsoring VOTF in his parish. Not sure if the meeting will take place or not, from what I understand, that priest is backing off from VOTF. As far as my parish goes, the counting communion wafers won't be done (thank God) and I've given some material to the pa and I have more if she is at all open to discussion. It is an ongoing job. And I thank you for all of your help! I know it won't be the last question I have for you and the other members of the Catholic Caucus!
Just started to read their book on 'Revelations'. Anyone read (or reading)?
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