Feast of St. Matthias, May 14
(Acts 1)
It is not so important that Matthias is chosen to be an apostle but to be one of the Twelve. Apostles are plentiful in the Early Church. Paul becomes known as “the Apostle” because of his zeal to go out and preach the gospel. But the Twelve is an exclusive club with strong symbolic meaning.
Jesus evidently wants to have a core group of disciples who would become the main proponents of his teaching. His choice of twelve is no accident but represents the number of tribes of ancient Israel. Jesus sees his teaching as a reconstitution of the Jewish faith. For good reason then the Church calls itself as the New Israel.
Of course, being the New Israel means our assuming significant responsibility. Israel is the people whom God has chosen to be, as one Bible translation puts it, “peculiarly his own.” We are to stand out in society as Florence Nightingales of care, George Washingtons of honesty, and Dominic Guzmans of self-control. In his apostolic journey to Brazil, Pope Benedict is exhorting the bishops to teach the people in these ways.
Showing posts with label Acts 15. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Acts 15. Show all posts
Homilette for Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Wednesday, V Easter
(Acts 15)
Many years ago Cardinal Avery Dulles wrote an instructive book titled Models of the Church. The work answers the question, what is the Church? Is it an institution with organizational offices and a clear line of authority? Or is it a vehicle of announcing the divine offer of salvation? Or perhaps it is servant to the world caring for the weak and instructing the powers regarding their responsibility? Maybe it is a sacrament, that is a sign of God’s ongoing presence among humans?
Although Cardinal Dulles indicates a preference for the sacrament model since it suggests a spiritual core, he concludes that the Church encompasses all the given models. It is not that the Church would not be all that it is without having an institutional structure, without preaching the Good News, without caring for the people, and without dispensing the grace of Christ. It is that without each of these identities it would lose its reason for being.
In the first reading today we see how from the beginning the Church has had an institutional face. Some people may sneer at Church bureaucracy hinting that it is not what Christ intended. But certainly during Apostolic times as well as today questions regarding Church order and doctrine were brought to the proper authorities – we see here the apostles and presbyters – for decision. Peter seems to have the preeminent role as head apostle although James, as chief elder of the Jerusalem flock, also has a significant voice. The institution has been modified through the centuries. Today’s structure of pope and curia with dioceses and religious institutions is not set in stone. But we can be assured that the Church will always be – out of identity as well need -- a visible institution.
(Acts 15)
Many years ago Cardinal Avery Dulles wrote an instructive book titled Models of the Church. The work answers the question, what is the Church? Is it an institution with organizational offices and a clear line of authority? Or is it a vehicle of announcing the divine offer of salvation? Or perhaps it is servant to the world caring for the weak and instructing the powers regarding their responsibility? Maybe it is a sacrament, that is a sign of God’s ongoing presence among humans?
Although Cardinal Dulles indicates a preference for the sacrament model since it suggests a spiritual core, he concludes that the Church encompasses all the given models. It is not that the Church would not be all that it is without having an institutional structure, without preaching the Good News, without caring for the people, and without dispensing the grace of Christ. It is that without each of these identities it would lose its reason for being.
In the first reading today we see how from the beginning the Church has had an institutional face. Some people may sneer at Church bureaucracy hinting that it is not what Christ intended. But certainly during Apostolic times as well as today questions regarding Church order and doctrine were brought to the proper authorities – we see here the apostles and presbyters – for decision. Peter seems to have the preeminent role as head apostle although James, as chief elder of the Jerusalem flock, also has a significant voice. The institution has been modified through the centuries. Today’s structure of pope and curia with dioceses and religious institutions is not set in stone. But we can be assured that the Church will always be – out of identity as well need -- a visible institution.
Homilette for Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Wednesday, V Easter
(Acts 15)
Many years ago Cardinal Avery Dulles wrote an instructive book titled Models of the Church. The work answers the question, what is the Church? Is it an institution with organizational offices and a clear line of authority? Or is it a vehicle of announcing the divine offer of salvation? Or perhaps it is servant to the world caring for the weak and instructing the powers regarding their responsibility? Maybe it is a sacrament, that is a sign of God’s ongoing presence among humans?
Although Cardinal Dulles indicates a preference for the sacrament model since it suggests a spiritual core, he concludes that the Church encompasses all the given models. It is not that the Church would not be all that it is without having an institutional structure, without preaching the Good News, without caring for the people, and without dispensing the grace of Christ. It is that without each of these identities it would lose its reason for being.
In the first reading today we see how from the beginning the Church has had an institutional face. Some people today sneer at Church bureaucracy hinting that it is not what Christ intended. But certainly during Apostolic times as well as today questions regarding Church order and doctrine were brought to the proper authorities – we see here the apostles and presbyters – for discernment. Peter may have the preeminent role as chief apostle although James, as chief elder of the Jerusalem flock, also has a significant voice. The institution has been modified through the centuries. Today’s structure of pope and curia with dioceses and religious institutions is not set in stone. But we can be assured that the Church will always be – out of need -- a visible institution.
(Acts 15)
Many years ago Cardinal Avery Dulles wrote an instructive book titled Models of the Church. The work answers the question, what is the Church? Is it an institution with organizational offices and a clear line of authority? Or is it a vehicle of announcing the divine offer of salvation? Or perhaps it is servant to the world caring for the weak and instructing the powers regarding their responsibility? Maybe it is a sacrament, that is a sign of God’s ongoing presence among humans?
Although Cardinal Dulles indicates a preference for the sacrament model since it suggests a spiritual core, he concludes that the Church encompasses all the given models. It is not that the Church would not be all that it is without having an institutional structure, without preaching the Good News, without caring for the people, and without dispensing the grace of Christ. It is that without each of these identities it would lose its reason for being.
In the first reading today we see how from the beginning the Church has had an institutional face. Some people today sneer at Church bureaucracy hinting that it is not what Christ intended. But certainly during Apostolic times as well as today questions regarding Church order and doctrine were brought to the proper authorities – we see here the apostles and presbyters – for discernment. Peter may have the preeminent role as chief apostle although James, as chief elder of the Jerusalem flock, also has a significant voice. The institution has been modified through the centuries. Today’s structure of pope and curia with dioceses and religious institutions is not set in stone. But we can be assured that the Church will always be – out of need -- a visible institution.
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