October 16, 2012

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Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 468

Reading 1 from St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians

Gal 5:1-6

We are again visiting with the Galatians as St. Paul begins his lesson:

Brothers and sisters:

For freedom Christ set us free;

so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

St. Paul is comparing the Law of Moses to the Law of Christ.  The Law of Moses includes the Ten Commandments but is described as bondage because there were several hundred ordinances added to the Ten Commandments of God which could never wash away one's sin and therefore, could not free us from sin.

The Law of Christ is the Ten Commandments plus the Sacraments.  The Sacraments, beginning with Baptism, all wash away our sins.  And thus free us from sin and make us partakers of the Divine nature.  Essentially, the Sacraments save us to eternal life.  Something the Law of Moses could not do. 

Don't forget, that in order to receive the Sacraments, you must first begin to keep the Commnandments.  And after you receive the Sacraments you must continue to keep the Commandments in order to sustain yourself in the "state of grace".

It is I, Paul, who am telling you

that if you have yourselves circumcised,

Christ will be of no benefit to you.

There were, in those days, a certain group of Jewish converts to Christianity, who insisted that in order for a Gentile to be a Christian, he must first become a Jew.  He became a Jew by accepting the Law of Moses.  The Law of Moses required every man to be circumcised.  It was the rite of passage for a Jew, just as Baptism is today for a Christian.  Except that Baptism is a sanctifying rite.  Whereas, circumcision did not pour out the Holy Spirit upon the one circumcised. 

Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcised

that he is bound to observe the entire law.

And the entire Law was burdensome.

You are separated from Christ,

you who are trying to be justified by law;

you have fallen from grace.

Those who try to be justified by works, are separated from Christ and fall from grace because:
1.  They are trying to justify themselves instead of letting God justify them.
2.  Jesus Christ established the Sacraments in order that those who are doing good, may be justified, right here and now, by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon their souls.

We, Catholics, do not justify ourselves by works.  We prepare for God's judgement by our obedience to His Commands.  God commands many works of charity, spiritual and corporal.  By keeping those, we automatically keep the Ten Commandments.  Those who do are judged righteous by God and when they present themselves for the Sacraments, are washed of their sins calling on the name of the Lord. 

Good works do not justify.  But unless you do the good works God requires, God will not justify you.

For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness.

For in Christ Jesus,

neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything,

but only faith working through love.

Circumcision-a Jewish background.

Uncircumcision-a  Pagan background.  

St. Paul is saying, "it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile by birth.  If you have turned to Christ, the only thing that matters is that you exercise your faith in works of charity.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 119:41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48

R. (41a) Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
Let your mercy come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your ordinances is my hope.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will walk at liberty,
because I seek your precepts.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will delight in your commands,
which I love.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will lift up my hands to your commands
and meditate on your statutes.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.

For the Jew, the Law of God, the Ten Commandments including the hundreds of precepts and ordinances represented God's mercy.  Because God was not obligated to save them.  But in His mercy, He provided a method that they might be saved from their sins and become His people.

And God would shed His merciful grace and salvation upon those who walked in His Commandments.

Exodus 20:6

King James Version (KJV)

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

As Christians, we must continue to study His Ten Commandments and  live in them by keeping the virtues which Jesus taught in the Beatitudes (Matt 5) and in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy (Matt 25:31-46).  Those who patiently continue in these virtues will be justified in the Sacraments and more importantly, on the Day of Judgment.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke

Lk 11:37-41

After Jesus had spoken,

a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.

Jesus had just completed a lesson when a Pharisee, one of the Jewish leaders, invited Him to dinner at his home.

He entered and reclined at table to eat.

Back then, the concept of chairs at dinner tables was not yet popular.  People sort of sprawled beside a low table, reminiscent of the type we see in Chinese movies, to eat.   That was called "reclining".

Jesus entered and reclined to eat.

The Pharisee was amazed to see

that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.

Jesus took the opportunity to teach a lesson.  Knowing that the Pharisees were legalistic and required all sorts of ordinances and rituals before they did anything, Jesus decided to omit the cleansing rituals before meals.  This astounded the Pharisee.  He probably saw it as really bad manners.  

The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees!

Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,

inside you are filled with plunder and evil.

Jesus, on His part, became indignant.  He said, "Pharisees!  Why do you wash your cups and dishes when it is the inside of your sinful souls that need the washing!"

You fools!

In Scripture, a fool does not believe in God.  Jesus is comparing the Pharisees to unbelievers:

Psalm 14:1
King James Version (KJV)
14 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?

You concern yourself with some things, but leave the more important things aside.  God made both the inside and the outside, therefore be at least equally concerned about the inside of your soul as the outside of your body. 

But as to what is within, give alms,

and behold, everything will be clean for you."

 Giving alms means to give to the poor.  Jesus is using this as an example of Godly works which please God, because they show a man's faith in God exercised by loving his neighbor.  The two great commandments, kept in one fell swoop:

Matthew 22:35-40
King James Version (KJV)

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.38 This is the first and great commandment.39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

St. John summarized it very well when he said:

1 John 4:20

King James Version (KJV)
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Sincerely,

De Maria