Memorial of St.
Cornelius, pope, and St. Cyprian, bishop, martyrs
(I Timothy 3:14-16; Luke 7:31-35)
“You will be known by the company you keep,” our mothers
used to tell us. They were only
repeating a folk that generally serves its listeners well. Not only are people inclined to judge us as
good or bad on the basis of our associates, but also we tend to become like our
friends.
But folk wisdom has its limitations. What do we do, for example, when proverbs
contradict one another? Is “discretion
the better part of valor” or is “the one who hesitates lost”? Obviously, we have to look beneath the
surface to attain the truth in matters like this. Just so, Jesus appeals to his listeners in
the gospel today to look beyond what they see as a fault. His eating and drinking with sinners does not
result in his conforming to their sinful ways.
Rather it is causing them to repent of their sins.
Jesus is telling us not only to stop judging by superficial
criteria but also to step out of our social confines. He wants the young to greet the elderly, blacks
and whites to dialogue together, and workers to extend a hand to the
unemployed. Whether or not we talk explicitly
about Jesus, we will be giving testimony to his goodness. Like him, we will be extending ourselves to those
outside of our comfort zones.
