Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter
(Acts 18:1-8; John 16:16-20)
Many people today would join the Catholic Church if it weren’t
for a living parent. They do not want to
disappoint the mother or father who devoutly worships in another church. They themselves, raised in the other church,
know that its value includes harboring virtuous members. Today’s first reading tells of St. Paul effort
to convert such people reluctant to cause hurt in the family.
Of course, the reading does not give the reason that Jews in
Corinth do not accept Paul’s teaching about Jesus. Some of them might be scandalized by Jesus
being executed for a capital crime.
Still, it is likely that many do not want to break with the tradition of
their ancestors who waited for a military Messiah. Paul sounds much too brusque when he condemns
their obtuseness, “’Your blood be on your heads!’”
The clarity with which we see Jesus properly worshipped in
the Catholic tradition is not obvious to everyone. We should be very slow to condemn others for
not joining the Church. But we should
not surrender hope that they may convert.
By our testifying to the Church’s authenticity with righteous lives, we
may be surprised to see how others respond.
