Monday of the
Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
(Galatians 1:6-12; Luke 10:25-37)
Liberation theologians of the last century called
attention to the need of what they called “orthopraxis.” This long word comes from two Greek words meaning
right practice. The liberationists
often said that orthopraxis was more important to salvation than orthodoxy or
correct belief. That statement had some
shock value, but as today’s readings indicate, the two – orthopraxis and orthodoxy
– correspond like a hand in a glove.
In the first reading Paul expresses dismay with the
Galatians for accepting a false doctrine.
By having themselves circumcised, they were rejecting the orthodox position
that salvation comes through faith in Christ.
In the gospel Jesus shows howt faith must be applied to the workaday
world. Faith in him means to practice
the active love he taught by word and deed.
The Samaritan proves worthy of salvation because he sacrificed his time, effort, and money for the man who was waylaid by robbers.
Paul will write later in the same Letter to the Galatians,
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for
anything, but only faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). The two – faith and a working love – might be
seen as two halves of a paper dollar. Faith
without works cannot purchase us anything because it lacks grounding in life. On the other hand, love without faith is likewise
worthless for salvation because it lacks abiding commitment. Together faith and love enable us to know
Christ which is the essence of eternal life.
