Sunday Reflections by Michael
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Signing off!
Due to a change of course in my writing I will no longer be blogging my reflections of the mass readings. Thank you for reading, and my apologies for any disappointment.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A (Sept. 28, 2014)
First reading: Ez. 18: 25-28
“Thus says the Lord: You say, ‘The Lord’s way is not
fair!’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is it
my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away from virtue
to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that
he must die. But if he turns from the
wickedness he has committed, and does what is right and just, he shall preserve
his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he
shall surely live, he shall not die.”
Second reading: Phil. 2: 1-5
“Brothers and sisters: If there is any encouragement in
Christ, and solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and
mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in
heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing
out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more
important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also
for those of others.”
Gospel reading: Mt. 21: 28-32
“Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
‘What is your opinion? A man has two
sons. He came to the first and said, Son, go out and work in the vineyard today. He said in reply, I will not, but afterwards changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the
same order. He said in reply, Yes sir, but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?’ They answered, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, I say to you, tax
collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of
righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later
change your minds and believe him.’”
Introductory theme summary:
The common theme from today’s readings is the importance of our
actions, works or deeds. Whatever
someone might say about themselves, it is only deemed true if what they say is
supported by what they do.
Reflection:
This theme is very much in line with why James tells us that
faith without works is dead.[1] So many people claim to believe in Christ,
yet do none or very few of the things associated with believing in Him. Who do they think they are fooling? Regardless of how successful they may be at fooling
the people in their day to day lives, they cannot fool God. He will not be fooled.
So, why is it so importance to have works?
The simple fact is: our works, or deeds if you prefer, point
to the authenticity of our true being. We
all know the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” Though no deed or work can supersede the
necessity of faith, if the claim of faith lacks works or deeds to support the
claim, than the individual has yet to actually integrate what they believe for
it to take root within themselves. The desired
effect is for those beliefs to cause a specific change within their being. In short: It is not enough to believe, we
must become what we believe and then we have salvation.
Has our Lord’s words taken root within you?
Are you living your life as a true Christian?Sunday, September 21, 2014
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A (Sept. 21, 2014)
First reading: Is. 55: 6-9
“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is
near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God,
who is generous in forgiving. For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”
Second reading: Phil. 1: 20c-24, 27a
“Brothers and sisters: Christ will be magnified in my body,
whether by life or by death. For to me
life is Christ, and death is gain. If I
go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with
Christ, for that is far better. Yet that
I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.
“Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of
Christ.”
Gospel reading: Mt. 20: 1-16a
“Jesus told his disciples this parable: ‘The kingdom of
heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his
vineyard. After agreeing with them for
the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, the landowner
saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go
into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around
three o’clock, and did likewise. Going
out about five o’clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to
them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my
vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner
of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their
pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock
came, each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but
each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These
last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore
the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said
to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily
wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same
as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish
with my own money? Are you envious
because I am generous?’ Thus, the last
will be first, and the first will be last.”
Introductory theme summary:
The common theme from today’s readings points to the need
for us to conform ourselves to God’s ways.
In the first reading we have an admonishing for everyone to leave their
sinful ways. While the second reading
gives us a glimpse of Paul’s conflict with his realization of the great
difference between how things are hear and how things will be in heaven, he
also admonishes us all to live our lives in a manner that is worthy of that
reward. Finally, the gospel gives us a
very important lesson in respecting the absolute supreme righteousness of God’s
judgment that may actually be very different from what we expect.
Reflection:
The answer is for us to always be
humble in our relationship with God. As
described in the first reading, God’s thoughts and ways are as far above our
thoughts and ways as the heavens are above earth. We are simply incapable of traversing that
void. Whatever someone might believe
his/her standing with God is, he/she can still be wrong. That is why we Catholics “trust in our hope”
of salvation, rather than presuming to “know” we are saved.
This principal doesn’t just apply
to our dealings with God. This principle
demands our humility at all times and in all circumstances of life. No matter how certain of our rightness we
might believe ourselves to be concerning any specific issue, we can still be
wrong because our capacity for knowing will always be limited. While
God’s capacity is infinite.
This is especially important when
dealing with the so called, “Things of the world.” As the Creator of all things, nothing is
outside the jurisdiction of God’s judgment.
Whether dealing with the issues of industry or any other aspect of the
business world (just two examples of many), we must always remain humble in our
decisions so as to avoid a just consequence for defying God’s authority by
ignoring His condition for justice.
Finally, the most precarious of
all situations is representing God’s will as He desires it to be communicated
to His people. It is truly by committee
that these “Truths” can be ascertained, which is why we have the apostolic succession. Acting outside the community by contradicting
orthodoxy earns one the distrust appropriate for excommunication. This does not condemn the person, for those
who do not understand. It just
designates that person’s theology as “outside the community” and those who
follow their teachings, also follow them outside the community.
Unfortunately, today’s society
revels in arrogance. Their saying is,
“It’s not bragging whey you can do it.”
Uh . . . yes it is!!! But what
makes it arrogant is the exaggeration a person makes by attributing to their
personal being a merit their capabilities deserve. A person may have an extremely rare
capability, such as star athletes and various entertainers, but those
capabilities do not make them good people.
Consider the assortment of controversies among professional football
players as a perfect example.
Humility, the lost virtue. Oh how beautiful you are to those of us who labor,
tirelessly, to actually BE good; for
there is no greater example of humility than God’s – by being hidden.
Monday, September 15, 2014
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A (Sept. 14, 2014)
First reading: Sir. 27:30 – 28:7
Second reading: Rom. 14: 7-9
“Brothers and sisters: None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”
“Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs
them tight. The vengeful will suffer the
Lord’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when
you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.
Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the
Lord? Could anyone refuse mercy to
another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins? If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who
will forgive his sins? Remember your
last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your
neighbor; remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults.”
Second reading: Rom. 14: 7-9
“Brothers and sisters: None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”
Gospel reading: Mt. 18: 21-35
“Peter approached Jesus and asked him, ‘Lord, of my brother
sins against me, how often must I forgive?
As many as seven times?’ Jesus answered,
‘I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be
likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was
brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be
sold, along with his, his children, and all his property, in payment of the
debt. At that, the servant fell down,
did him homage, and said, be patient with
me, and I will pay you back in full.
Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave
him the loan. When that servant had let,
he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him,
demanding, pay back what you owe. Falling to his knees, his fellow servant
begged him, be patient with me, and I
will pay you back. But he
refused. Instead, he had the fellow
servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole
affair. His master summoned him and said
to him, you wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you
begged me to. Should you not have had
pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you? Then in anger his master handed him over to
the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless
each of you forgives you brother from your heart.”
Introductory theme summary:
The obvious common theme from today’s readings is the Lord’s
judgment concerning our sins. The surprising
twist involves the need for us to forgive others if we want forgiveness for ourselves.
Reflection:
I don’t think there is a more important message in our
Christian beliefs than the Lord’s instruction to forgive others. He, who alone is the judge, tells us that we
will not be forgiven if we do not forgive, and this forgiveness needs to come
from our hearts. It must be heart
felt. This forgiveness must resonate
from our interior being.
When I consider how so many, so called – Christians, in our
society make it their mission to exact “justice” against those who are guilty,
I cannot help but wonder where they actually stand with the Lord even though
they are called “ministers.” Not only
are we to forgive, we are also expected to forbear injustices. You know the saying, “Turn the other cheek”.[1] I understand a non-Christian seeking justice,
because they do not receive the Lord’s instruction, but not a Christian. We who profess the Christian faith are held
to a higher standard of beliefs. It is up
to us to show the world how true children of God behave. Children of God do not seek revenge under the
name “justice.” That’s what the children
of the world do.
What are you; a child of God or a child of the world?Sunday, September 7, 2014
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A (Sept. 7, 2014)
First reading: Ez. 33: 7-9
“Thus says the Lord: You, son of man, I have appointed
watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn
them for me. If I tell the wicked, ‘O
wicked one, you shall surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade the
wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you
responsible for his death. But if you
warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn fro
his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself.”
Second reading: Rom. 13: 8-10
“Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love
one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit
adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,’ and
whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely,
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the
law.”
Gospel reading: Mt. 18: 15-20
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your brother sins against
you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your
brother. If he does not listen, take one
or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the
testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If
he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.
If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would
a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I
say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever
you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything
for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly
Father. For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Introductory theme summary:
The theme common to all three readings is the need to
conform our lives morally, to God’s ways.
In the first reading we have an example of both the need to not live
sinful lives as well as the responsibility those who fulfill that need have to
everyone else that doesn’t. In the
second reading we have the perfect antidote for conforming our sinful behavior to
the laws or moral conduct – love; and finally, in the gospel we have Jesus
instructing us on how to handle the unfortunate event of sins committed against
others within the Church community.
Reflection:
This is a very difficult issue to practice in today’s
society. Due to the permissive attitude these
days concerning sin, traditional moral standards are presumed no longer
relevant. Yet those of us who practice
our faith by accepting our obligation to conform our behavior morally to God’s
ways, as they have been taught to us through the ages – Traditional moral
standards, we are accused of being judgmental should anyone express any concern
over another person’s sinful choices. An
authentic faith in Christ cannot help but produce such an assessment. Though we know we have forgiveness for our
sins, we also know that repenting our sins is a matter of complying with the
Lord’s call to salvation.[1] No one has the liberty to continue sinning.[2] And yet, so many so called “Christians” do
that very thing.
This is not an easy answer!
No one has the right to judge another person, much less
their faith, but everyone is expected to love their neighbor as themselves. Those of us who do love our neighbors as well
as conform ourselves morally, do not want anyone to suffer for their sins. This very perspective is precisely where the
answer to our obligation lies.
It isn’t enough to tell someone that they are wrong, because
that approach presumes they simply didn’t know and in most cases they already
know what traditional morally believes to be wrong. Instead, this is heard as an insult to their intelligence. Try telling someone who smokes to quit smoking
simply because it is bad for their health and they will tell you, “It isn’t that
simple,” and walk away so irritated by the obvious ignorance as to their real
condition that it will actually cause the exact opposite effect. As a former smoker I can testify to this very
thing. This is the last effect someone
who truly cares desires to cause. When
it comes to helping our fallen brothers and sisters we need to be better than
that, by taking into consideration what their circumstance might actually be
that leads them to persist in their sins.
Conversely, we cannot allow any appearance of justifiable
cause to lead us to substantiate that rational.
Sin is, and will always be, sin. No
one has permission to sin.[3] Rationalization is probably the most common
error employed for justification by those who persist in their sins. Do not be deceived by it.
So the answer lies in simply having a genuine loving concern
for them and expressing that concern in a loving way, while at the same time
respecting the liberty of their free will and the possibility of their simply
needing more time to be able to arrive at conformity concerning that specific
sin. Everyone grows at their own rate
and arrives at maturity in their own time.
·
I would begin by humbly inquiring if that
person is aware of the severity of their sin.
·
If so, humbly ask if you can help in any way;
and if not, offer to explain in the form of a question such as: “Would you like
(or allow) me to explain it for you?”, and then afterwards ask if you can help.
·
If no help (or even explanation) is desired than
express your loving concern and then walk away without saying, “I’ll pray for
you,” unless they specifically ask for that.
This profession can be heard as contemptuous, and therefore extremely unproductive
in the way of affecting a conversion within them. Whether they ask or not, however, do PRAY FOR
THEM.
This is how we can apply the practice of our common priesthood
and prophecy in Christ, which is obligatory for all those who are baptized. Especially for those Catholics
who have been fully sanctified;[4]
for by becoming so they become fully capable of fulfilling this function within
the Body of Christ.[5]
Come, let us all express our loving concern for our
neighbors in the single most difficult, but also most important, way; by
helping them come to the purity of faith that is able to live by Christ’s loving
Spirit that never sins.
[1] Mk
1:15 “The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent and believe in the gospel.”
[2]
Rom. 6: 15-16 “What then? Shall we sin
because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not! Do you not know that if you present
yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey,
either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to
righteousness?”
[3] Sir.
15:20 “No man does he command to sin, to none does he give strength for lies.”
[4] By
receiving Baptism and Confirmation, along with regular participation in the
Sacraments of Reconciliation as needed and The Eucharist as able, from the
Catholic Church
[5] Vatican
II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,
no. 11: “With the sacrament of confirmation they are bound more completely to
the church; they are enriched by a special strength of the Holy Spirit, and in
this way are under more pressing obligation to spread the faith by word and
deed as true witnesses of Christ.”
Monday, September 1, 2014
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A (Aug. 30, 2014)
First reading: Jer. 20: 7-9
Second reading: Rom. 12: 1-2
Gospel reading: Mt. 16: 21-27
“You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped; you were
too strong for me, and you triumphed.
All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me.
“Whenever I speak, I must cry out, violence and outrage is
my message; the word of the Lord has brought me derision and reproach all the
day.
“I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in
his name no more. But then it becomes
like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it
in, I cannot endure it.”
Second reading: Rom. 12: 1-2
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to
offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your
spiritual worship. Do not conform
yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you
may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Gospel reading: Mt. 16: 21-27
“Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to
Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the
scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. The Peter took Jesus aside and began to
rebuke him, ‘God forbid, Lord! No such
thing shall ever happen to you.’ He
turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as
human beings do.’
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wishes to some
after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose
it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain
the whole world and forfeit his life? Or
what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and
then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.”
Introductory theme summary:
The theme common to all three readings this week addresses
the demands of serving God’s will. In
the first reading we have Jeremiah giving his account of the difficulties he
faced in his prophecy as well as the impossibility of him resisting God’s call
to serve him. In the second reading Paul
gives us the instruction that we are to become living sacrifices for the Lord,
and in the gospel reading we receive the conditions for discipleship by which
we actually accomplish becoming so.
Reflection:
Considering so many people choose to apply their faith as
the means for accomplishing a personally fulfilling life in time rather than
strive to follow the conditions set forth for becoming a disciple of the Lord,
many people are clearly either not hearing or responding to this call. With the gospel message clearly
indicating the necessity of accepting suffering and hardship, self-sacrifice and
even loss, as an essential part of practicing Christianity faithfully; how acceptable
is it, really, to use one’s faith in this world to obtain personal fulfillment
in this life? I suspect it isn’t acceptable
at all.
Our Lord said; “whoever wishes to save his life will lose it.” I can’t help but think of all those people
whom our society celebrates for their remarkable achievements in the world:
such as star athletes and famous actors for examples. Even if they have faith in Jesus Christ, when
applying these words of the Lord's, they will have to lose the lives they sought
for themselves in this world in order to enter eternal life. What then will they be? Because the little ones are the greatest in
the kingdom, they will be the greatest in eternity, not the great ones. Will the egos of those great ones accept such
a humble eternity in relationship to the greatness of the little ones? Or, will they choose their pride over God and
damn themselves? As Paul said, “Their glory
is in their shame.” (Php. 3:19)[1]
Don’t be seduced by the glories of the world. They will only result in an eternity of
regret!
[1] Php.
3:18-19 “For many … conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in
their “shame.” Their minds are occupied
with earthly things.”
Sunday, August 24, 2014
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A (Aug. 24, 2014)
First reading: Is. 22: 19-23
Second reading: Rom. 11: 33-36
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor? Or who has given the Lord anything that he may be repaid? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Gospel reading: Mt. 16: 13-20
“Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ they replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter said in reply, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus said to him in reply, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’ Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.”
“Thus says the Lord to Shebna, master of the palace: ‘I will
thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim,
son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with our robe, and gird him with your sash,
and give over to him your authority. He
shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of
Judah. I will place the key of the House
of David on Eliakim’s shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut; when he
shuts, no one shall open. I will fix him
like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family.”
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor? Or who has given the Lord anything that he may be repaid? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Gospel reading: Mt. 16: 13-20
“Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ they replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter said in reply, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus said to him in reply, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’ Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.”
Introductory theme summary:
The obvious common theme from the Old Testament and Gospel
readings today is the papacy. Less
obvious, however, is how the second reading ties into the papal theme. I would remind the readers that the Lord
himself established the prominent role of Peter, which did in fact evolve into
what has become the papacy. The second
reading should therefore be applied to the real importance of the papacy,
whether the reader accepts what it has become or not.
Reflection:
The issue of the papacy begins with understanding what its
purpose actually is. The first clue to
that point is revealed to us in why Peter was distinguished apart from the rest
of the apostles – because he was the first to understand Jesus’ then hidden significance to God’s plan
of salvation. That reveals to us the
primary purpose for the papacy, which is to safeguard the authentic
understanding of Jesus as the Christ and his message of salvation – i.e. the
Catholic (universal) truth.
Then there is the issue of the power Jesus gave Peter at the
declaration of his prominence among the rest of the apostles. That power is to bind and to loose. Though this binding and loosening can be
applied to their power to forgive sins in which they empower priests to share
with them, this passage is addressing a different need specifically. That need is to distinguish those who are
consistent with that authentic truth – orthodoxy. Though this power can be exercised over
anyone who teaches the faith, it is primarily intended to be applied
specifically to those who share in the official responsibility of representing
the faith to the world along with Peter – i.e. the apostles. For the Church today that now applies to the
individual who occupies the office of pope and all those who participate in the
apostolic succession – all the bishops, along with those who share in each
bishop’s teaching authority – priests and deacons.
The “binding” function is exercised through the process of
ordination. By determining a candidate suited
for ordination they are not being judged as better than other Christians. They are being determined as authentically
called by God and sufficiently prepared to represent the true faith accurately (i.e.
orthodoxy) for the benefit of the entire faith community. This process always begins with the office of
deacon, with most becoming priests shortly thereafter. Some, who are recognized as possessing the
capacity for the office, receive the full measure of representing the
faith. These are those who become
bishops. Cardinals are bishops who become
designated as such for a specific service to the pope. Their primary function is to safeguard the
succession of the seat of Peter – the papacy.
The “loosening” function is exercised by declaring someone excommunicated. This is necessary in the cases where someone who
had previously received official approval (became ordained in any capacity and
therefore presumed trustworthy by all the faithful) deviates harmfully from the
orthodox representation of the faith to which they committed themselves under
the condition of obedience. This obedience
is an absolutely necessity because the influence associated to their office as
deacon, priest, or bishop, comes from the Catholic Church, in service of which
this power was given. Contradict the
will of the organization to which one becomes empowered to represent and the right
to retain that power becomes forfeited due to their own infidelity. This is not a condemnation of that
individual, but a suspension of the teaching authority previously given to that
individual. In other words, their
teaching is no longer to be trusted by any of the faithful. This determination is made for the protection
of the faithful.
As it is the salvation needs of the entire human race that the
Catholic Church sees herself as commissioned to serve, it is in regard to
faithfully accomplishing that purpose commanded her by the Lord that she strives
to provide the faith as it was given to her from the apostles. That is what it means to be an apostolic
church. Those who call their faith
apostolic without remaining faithful to the original message of the apostles
are falsely representing their faith.
Only that which is Catholic is truly apostolic, and therefore truly
trustworthy, as our Lord desired the faith to be presented to us, even to the
ends of the earth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)