Wednesday, June 4, 2025

 

Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

(Acts 20:28-38; John 17:11b-19)

In today’s first reading St. Paul expresses concern over the truth of Christ.  He tells Church leaders that he taught the whole truth of Jesus Christ.  Now he is worried that false evangelists will come along distorting it. 

Paul taught that God created the world good and gave it to humans to care for.  He said that God made only one demand – that humans not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Perhaps to avoid misunderstanding, God reserved to Himself the determination of right and wrong.)  Paul further taught that humans, deceived by the Father of lies, wanted to claim equality with their benefactor.  So they ate from the tree of knowledge, and alienated themselves from God.  Their situation was hopeless because they could never cease trying to compete with God.   God Himself had to come to their rescue.  The Father sent His Son as a human, whom we know as Jesus Christ.  The Son submitted himself completely to the Father’s will.  As Paul says, Christ gave his blood which won for him, the God-man, eternal life.  Now those who partake of that blood offered in the Church, his Body, may acquire not only forgiveness but also eternal life.

False evangelists are still among us.  They may not be bad-intentioned, but nevertheless they get the story of salvation wrong.  They may claim that they have a better idea of good and bad than Jesus taught.  They may say that God loves everybody so that a person need not join himself or herself to Christ’s body to reach salvation.  Whatever their mistakes, we do well to avoid false teachers by adhering to St. Paul’s teaching.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

 Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

(Acts 20:28-38; John 17:11b-19)

Today’s first reading voices three concerns that have echo in the contemporary Church.  The first regards the “presbyters” of Ephesus whom Paul calls “overseers.”  Most scholars think that when Paul passed through Miletus, around the year 57 A.D., the offices of presbyter, equivalent to priest today, and bishop, a common translation of the Greek word for overseer, did not exist.  The scholars say that Luke, the author of Acts, uses the terms which had become common at the time of his writing, twenty-five years or so later.  The question bears on the formation of ministerial categories and whether women might occupy the governing offices.

Paul’s warning about men coming forth “perverting the truth to draw the disciples away” has been a continual Church challenge.  Today as much as ever former priests and laypersons start their own Christian communities of faith.  More monumental, the Catholic bishops of Germany now verge on schism over the Church’s teachings on sex. 

Finally, Paul hints at scandal caused by pastors’ taking unscrupulously from community savings.  He says that he avoided any semblance of misconduct by always working for his upkeep.  Pastors abusing the community’s trust regarding money is still an issue, but much more serious is clerical abuse of minors.  Whatever might be said to understand the situation, the outrage has both crippled innocent lives and set back evangelization efforts.

All the episodes in the Acts of the Apostles have some relevancy today.  But as we read the book, let us give attention to how it describes the early Church.  Acts sees the Church as guided by the Holy Spirit to form an ever-expanding community of love as commanded by its founder.   

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Memorial of Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr

(Acts 20:28-38; John 17:11b-19)

In today’s first reading St. Paul is on his way to Jerusalem where he senses trouble awaiting.  He has called the presbyters of Ephesus together for a final exhortation.  He warns them about false prophets who will try to lead astray their congregants.  The life of today’s patron exemplifies Paul’s care about true teaching.  Also like Paul, St. Boniface died giving testimony to the faith.

Boniface was a British monk eager to preach in Germany, a missionary land.  Once there within a span of just twenty years he converted different pagan peoples and established the Church.  Rather than retire in one of the monasteries he founded, Boniface returned to the missions.  He was killed while reconverting a tribe of Germans that had lapsed into pagan practices. 

Our times have seen many unorthodox ideas gain followings.  Recently a former priest, discontent with the teaching of the Church on sexual ethics, wrote an article in a leading magazine calling for the abolition of the priesthood.  It is doubtful that the idea will take root, but it does erode people’s faith.  As much as at any time in history, we need men and women like Boniface who will testify to the truth.