Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Readings for Wednesday of the 5th Week of Easter

First Published: Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Walk the Line

Reflection:

I had never noticed before that the Gospel of the Vine and the Branches was repeated within the same week. We hear it again today and if it feels very familiar, it is because you heard it last Sunday. It is a trick of the cycles; the B cycle for the Sunday Gospel and the Year 2 cycle for the daily readings. While I am tempted, I will not try to figure out how often that happens. I leave that to my brother Deacon Frank Papp hes the mathematician... (I lied. I could not resist. The next time there will be a year B-2 will be in 2012 and the last time was 2000).

Since I posted a homily on that Gospel on Sunday we will reflect today on what is going on with the Apostles in the first reading from Acts. It is clear from the story we hear today that a major turning point in the Church is coming. While we hear the debate starting over circumcision, the larger issue is should Christians be required to, in essence convert to Judaism as a prerequisite to becoming Christian. That is what the debate is really about. Up to this time the Apostles have been using the synagogues as a vehicle for proclaiming the Gospel of Christ. Since all of the Apostles were Jewish, it was a natural thing. Then Paul and Barnabas take off and begin bringing the gentiles into the community. This is a very tense point in our history. Which way will the Holy Spirit push the debate?

Of course, we already know the next part of the story, but it is neat to watch it unfold and imagine the heated discussions and the growing pains the Church is going through. I can remember when the reforms of Vatican II were introduced. People left the Church in droves because they felt the Church had betrayed them. The Holy Spirit has never been afraid of making us uncomfortable by forcing us to lay down a tradition to take up another.

I think the important message for us to take away from this part of the story is actually two fold. First, Jesus came for all people and we, as Church, can never be exclusive or elitist. Now some people may say that we are unfair, for example, because they claim we reject the homosexual community because we do not accept the "Life Partner" concept or allow same sex marriage.

I disagree violently with anyone making that claim. Of all the Christian denominations, the Catholic Church is consistent in its teaching. There are two states a person may be in with regard to sexual relations. One is either married; in which case physical love is a necessary part of the relationship, or a person is single and chaste. The same rule applies to all single people and the Church recognizes the Sacrament of Marriage in its scriptural sense, as Christ instituted it, as a union between man and woman. The same injunction holds true for unmarried heterosexual partners who choose to cohabitate. The Church looks at that, apparently socially acceptable relationship and calls it sin. (I probably should not have opened that can of worms but the Church does not change its rules because a life style becomes popular or is socially acceptable.)

Having just used that example, the second point is we must always look to what Christ intended and not be so in love with our traditions that we forget the spirit of love the Lord left us. I think it is noteworthy to point out that the example I used above has been debated through the millennia and the answer has been consistent. The Holy Spirit is a harsh mistress sometimes.

So, for today, let us pray that we can walk that line between the law's letter and spirit faithfully. It is a narrow path and a difficult on. Thank God we do not walk it alone. Pax