October 10, 2012

Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 463

A Reading from St. Paul's epistle to the Galatians

 Gal 2:1-2, 7-14

>>>Yesterday, St. Paul recounted his first visit to Jerusalem.  Today he recounts his second.

Brothers and sisters:
After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas,
taking Titus along also.

>>>Fourteen years later, he went back to Jerusalem, Sts. Barnabus and Titus were with him.

I went up in accord with a revelation,
and I presented to them the Gospel that I preach to the Gentiles--
but privately to those of repute--
so that I might not be running, or have run, in vain.

>>>He went there in obedience to the Holy Spirit which had revealed to him that he should.

1.  Note here again, that he goes to visit those in "repute".  In other words, the most important Apostles which are recognized as Sts. Peter, James and John.
2.  Note that he is explicit that he came to visit them in order to reveal the Gospel he preaches to the Gentiles.
3.  Note that he did so in order to ensure that he was not committing error nor preaching error.

Why did he think it was possible that he might be preaching error?  Well, lets look at some other Scriptures.  In Acts we find some Christians of Hebrew stock complaining:

Acts 15:5 

⁵ But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

That's not all.  We find also in the Epistle of St. James that St. James seemingly contradicts St. Paul's teaching:

Romans 3:28
King James Version (KJV)
²⁸ Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

James 2:24
King James Version (KJV)
²⁴ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 

And then we find St. Peter saying something which, if read in the wrong light, might be considered a backhanded insult:

2 Peter 3:15-16
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁵ And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;  ¹⁶ As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

It probably didn't help matters that St. John said:

1 John 2:19
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

With all these complaints circulating, he perhaps felt betrayed or ostracised.  And so, he decided to come and meet with the Leaders and set the matter straight.

On the contrary,
when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised,
just as Peter to the circumcised,
for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the circumcised
worked also in me for the Gentiles,
and when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me,
James and Cephas and John,
who were reputed to be pillars,
gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership,
that we should go to the Gentiles
and they to the circumcised.

>>>But he found approval from the Three and agreement that he should continue his ministry to the Gentiles.  I believe this is illustrated by St. Luke in Acts 15.

Only, we were to be mindful of the poor,
which is the very thing I was eager to do.

>>>I don't exactly know what he meant.  Unless he was instructed not to leave the poor out of his ministry.  Or perhaps that collections should be made for the poor.

And when Cephas came to Antioch,
I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong.

>>>After that meeting in Jerusalem, St. Peter went to Antioch which is in Galatia.  There, St. Paul found cause to complain about St. Peter's behavior.  

For, until some people came from James,
he used to eat with the Gentiles;
but when they came, he began to draw back and separated himself,
because he was afraid of the circumcised.

>>>He accuses St. Peter of acting hypocritically towards the Gentiles there.

And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him,
with the result that even Barnabas
was carried away by their hypocrisy.

>>>And says that the rest of the Christians of Hebrew descendance followed his example and did likewise. 

But when I saw that they were not on the right road
in line with the truth of the Gospel,
I said to Cephas in front of all,
"If you, though a Jew,
are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew,
how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

>>>And so, he rebuked St. Peter in front of everyone.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

One of the things about Scripture is that frequently, the main actors are shown in their weakest and lowest moments.  You don't believe me?  Adam fell from grace.  Noah got drunk.  Abraham gave his wife to Pharaoh, David had an adulterous affair and murdered the woman's husband, etc. etc.

I think this is what has just been illustrated.  Not St. Peter's but St. Paul's lowest moment.

1.  Who said the following?

1 Corinthians 9:22
King James Version (KJV)
²² To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

And yet he is rebuking St. Peter for doing that which he, St. Paul,  preached should be done in order that the weak, in this case the Jewish Gentiles, should be saved.

2.  In all this, St. Peter acted honorably and humbly.  There is no indication that he opened his mouth in his defense.  What would it look like if two of the most illustrious Apostles were to duke it out in front of the multitudes?

Responsorial Psalm Ps 117:1bc, 2

Response. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

Praise the LORD, all you nations,
glorify him, all you peoples!

R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.

R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

>>>This may seem disconnected to you.  But the most important way that we can go out and preach the good news, is by attending the Mass:

1 Corinthians 11:26
King James Version (KJV)
²⁶ For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

Gospel Lk 11:1-4

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."

>>>Jesus was praying and one of the disciples asked him to teach them to pray in the style recommended by St. John, the Baptist.

He said to them, "When you pray, say:

>>>He begins by giving them a formula prayer, the Our Father or Our Lord's prayer.  He said:

Father, hallowed be your name,

>>>Father, meaning, Our Father in heaven.
Hallowed be your name, meaning holy is your name.

your Kingdom come.

>>>meaning, may your Kingship be recognized here on earth.

Give us each day our daily bread

>>>This is a veiled meaning.  On one hand it means to feed us and nourish our bodies. On the other it means to feed us and nourish us spiritually with the Liturgy, the Word of God and the Eucharist. 

and forgive us our sins

>>>This is a request for justification.  Unless we reform our lives and repent of our sins, God won't forgive us and if we are not forgiven, we will not receive eternal life.

for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,

>>>When we pray this prayer, we are promising God that we will forgive everyone who has hurt us and we are making it a condition of our own salvation.

and do not subject us to the final test."

>>>I'm not sure what this final test refers to.  Everyone is tested throughout their lives.  Scripture says:

1 Peter 1:7That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Sincerely,

De Maria