Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
(I Kings 18:20-39; Matthew 5:17-19)
As long as one lives in a land with other kinds of people,
it will be hard to keep syncretism at bay.
Syncretism blends different elements of culture to produce a new
cultural reality. Syncretism often results
in the loss of a major characteristics of the older culture. Santeria exemplifies a syncretism
religion. This cult borrows from African
animist and Catholic traditions. It was
developed in Cuba but is found in other Caribbean cultures as well.
In today’s first reading the prophet Elijah challenges the
people to give up their syncretistic practices.
“How long will you straddle the issue?” he charges, “If the Lord is God,
follow him; if Baal, follow him.” Baal is the Phoenician-Canaanite god of
fertility and weather. Elijah then demonstrates
to the people the Lord’s supremacy. His
prayer to the Lord calls down fire to consume the sacrifice.
We might find syncretistic tendencies in the people we
meet. They may go to mass on Sunday but
during the week put all trust in mammon.
They may keep a statue of the Virgin in their yard but on their porch take
seriously their horoscope. We want to
avoid these tendencies if not these people.
We believe in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. They have sent their Spirit upon us so that
we might become holy like them.
