Thursday, October 10, 2024

 Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 3:1-5; Luke 11:5-13)

Suppose your son had what he thought was a great way to make money.  He heard about a corporation that was bending plastic tubes into what it called “hoola hoops” and selling them for many times the cost of production.  Now he wants to invest all his savings in the corporation’s stock.  He asks you what you think.  Would you not say that he is making a foolish mistake?  Something similar is going on in today’s first reading.

The Christian community of Galatia has been told that since they believe in Christ, who was a Jew, they must become Jews themselves.  That is, they must accept circumcision and eat kosher.  If they do not give themselves body and soul in this way, they are told that they will not share in Christ’s resurrection from the dead.  Like the father of the son wanting to invest in hoola hoops, St. Paul tells the Galatians that they cannot possibly gain from such a deal.  He goes beyond saying they are “foolish,” to calling them “stupid” for thinking that the old idea has such possibility.

Paul’s lesson has value for us today.  Few may want to become Jews, but some are attracted by Gnostic ideas like salvation through more specialized knowledge and not through repentance of sin and faith in Christ.  Our minds want to know more and more, it is true, and knowledge is not bad in itself, but it cannot bring us salvation.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 3:1-5; Luke 11:5-13)

Fr. Paul Hinnebusch used to teach theology to a charismatic prayer community in Dallas.  He said that he did not pray in tongues nor did he particularly care for other forms of charismatic prayer.  But he enjoyed being with the community because of their desire to know about the Lord.  Fr. Hinnebusch would share St. Paul’s concern about the Galatians in today’s first reading.

It can be assumed that the Galatians had a prayer style similar to what we know as charismatic prayer.  Three times Paul mentions the Spirit in the passage.  It is the same Spirit that he associates with the gift of tongues in the First Letter to the Corinthians.  Evidently the Galatians prayed in ways that are still associated with the Holy Spirit.  That is, they sang songs of praise to God and even spoke in tongues.  Paul does not criticize them for this.  But he twice calls them “stupid” because through a lapse in theology they have assumed Jewish religious practices like circumcision.  He tells them almost brutally that they are saved by faith in Christ, not by religious works.

In our desire for salvation we sometimes lapse into thinking that we are saved by our works.  We may think that no matter what we do as long as we go to church on Sunday, we will enjoy eternal life.  Or perhaps we believe that heaven is the reward of all who help their neighbors.  No, as Paul states quite clearly in this same Letter to the Galatians, the only thing that matters is “faith working through love.”  We have to peer at the cross and say, “Yes, Lord, you are my Savior; I will follow you.” Of course, then we have to follow through.

Thursday, September 6, 2016

Memorial of Saint Bruno, priest              

(Galatians 3:1-5; Luke 11:5-13)

The documentary movie “Into the Deep Silence” displays the assiduous life of Carthusians monks.  The Order, founded by St. Bruno, lives a hermit’s life coming together for Eucharist and a short recreation on Sundays.  The movie has no dialogue until the end when the monks, who have been pictured throughout the movie, are questioned.  In one interview an old monk says how sad it is for a world that does not believe in God.  God brings purpose and hope to people who often struggle with loneliness.  In today’s first reading St. Paul similarly testifies to the Spirit of God working in love for those who believe.

Paul severely chastises the Galatians for their readiness to take on the burdens of the Law.  He wants to assure them that eating kosher and practicing male circumcision have nothing to do with their Christian vocation. Rather they must believe in Christ’ death and resurrection on their behalf by practicing love of one another. 

Christians today hardly want to practice the Jewish Law.  But they sometimes allow religious trappings such as indulgences interfere with authentic Christian faith. Although indulgences certainly have a place in Catholic piety, they should not be pursued at all costs.  Caring for the poor and uplifting one another should take priority. 

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 3:1-5; Luke 11:5-13)

Paul’s frontal attack against the Galatians – “O stupid Galatians, who has bewitched you?” – makes us wonder what kind of people would tolerate such criticism.  Most likely Paul is addressing a community of Christians he founded in the northern part of the province of Galatia.  The fair-haired and light complexioned inhabitants of that area migrated in the third century before Christ from the region of the Pyrenees Mountains separating what is presently France and Spain.  “Galatians” comes from the same root as the Latin word Gallia which refers to the expansive tract of Western Europe that includes modern France. 

In Paul’s day Galatians were considered something like the giant but amicable Brobdingnagians of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels.  One biblical commentator describes the Galatian as “large, unpredictable simpletons, instinctively generous, ferocious and highly dangerous when angry, but without stamina and easy to trick.”  Paul evidently considers them good-hearted enough to accept his sharp disapproval without rejecting the gospel he preached.  He likely developed a deep rapport when ill health caused him to stay with them for an extended time.

Paul’s language, however, reveals more about himself than about the Galatians.  For Paul the single, most important fact of life is God’s redemption of humanity in Jesus Christ.  To his mind Christ commissioned him to preach this truth to non-Jews.  He does not mean to subjugate anyone with his harsh speech but only to urge them to accept the salvation won by Christ.  If strong language is necessary, he would muster the highest indignation.  If refined rhetoric would do the job, he would polish his argument.  As he himself would write to the Corinthians, “I have become all things to all, so that I might save at least some” (I Cor 9:22).

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 3:1-5; Luke 11:5-13)

Paul’s frontal attack against the Galatians – “O stupid Galatians, who has bewitched you?” – makes us wonder what kind of people would tolerate such criticism. Most likely Paul is addressing a community of Christians he founded in the northern part of the province of Galatia. The fair-haired and light complexioned inhabitants of that area migrated in the third century before Christ from the region of the Pyrenees Mountains separating what is presently France and Spain. “Galatians” comes from the same root as the Latin word Gallia which refers to the expansive tract of Western Europe that includes modern France.

In Paul’s day Galatians were considered something like the giant but amicable Brobdingnagians of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. One biblical commentator describes the Galatian as “large, unpredictable simpletons, instinctively generous, ferocious and highly dangerous when angry, but without stamina and easy to trick.” Paul evidently considers them good-hearted enough to accept his sharp disapproval without rejecting the gospel he preached. He likely developed a deep rapport when ill health caused him to stay with them for an extended time.

Paul’s language, however, reveals more about himself than about the Galatians. For Paul the single, most important fact of life is God’s redemption of humanity in Jesus Christ. To his mind Christ commissioned him to preach this truth to non-Jews. He does not mean to subjugate anyone with his harsh speech but only to urge them to accept the salvation won by Christ. If strong language is necessary, he would muster the highest indignation. If refined rhetoric would do the job, he would polish his argument. As he himself would write to the Corinthians, “I have become all things to all, so that I might save at least some” (I Cor 9:22).

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

(Galatians 3:1-5; Luke 11:5-13)

Paul’s frontal attack against the Galatians – “O stupid Galatians, who has bewitched you?” – makes us wonder what kind of people would tolerate such criticism. Most likely Paul is addressing a community of Christians he founded in the northern part of the province of Galatia. The fair-haired and light complexioned inhabitants of that area migrated in the third century before Christ from the region of the Pyrenees Mountains separating what is presently France and Spain. “Galatians” comes from the same root as the Latin word Gallia which refers to the expansive tract of Western Europe that includes modern France.

In Paul’s day Galatians were considered something like the Brobdingnagians of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. One biblical commentator describes them as “large, unpredictable simpletons, instinctively generous, ferocious and highly dangerous when angry, but without stamina and easy to trick.” Paul evidently considers them good-hearted enough to accept his sharp disapproval without rejecting the gospel. He probably developed a deep rapport when ill health caused him to stay with them for a protracted time.

Paul’s language, however, reveals more about himself than about the Galatians. For Paul the single, most important fact of life is God’s redemption of humanity in Jesus Christ. For some mysterious reason Christ commissioned him to preach this truth to non-Jews. He does not mean to subjugate anyone but only to express his love for his hearers by moving them to accept the salvation won by Christ. If strong language is necessary, he would work up the highest indignation. If refined rhetoric would do the job, he would polish his argumentation. As he himself would write to the Corinthians, “I have become all things to all, so that I might save at least some” (I Cor 9:22).

Homilette for Thursday, October 9, 2008

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 3:1-5)

Paul’s frontal against the Galatians – “O stupid Galatians, who has bewitched you?” – makes us wonder what kind of people would tolerate such criticism. Most likely Paul is addressing a community of Christians he founded in the northern part of the province of Galatia. The fair-haired and light complexioned inhabitants of that area migrated in the third century before Christ from the region of the Pyrenees separationg what is presently France and Spain. “Galatians” comes from the same root as the Latin word Gallia which refers to the expansive tract of Western Europe that includes modern France.

In Paul’s day Galatians were considered something like the Brobdingnagians of Jonathan Swift’s famous novel Gulliver’s Travels. One author describes them: “large, unpredictable simpletons, instinctively generous, ferocious and highly dangerous when angry, but without stamina and easy to trick.” Paul evidently considered them good-hearted enough to accept his sharp disapproval without rejecting his message. He probably had developed a deep rapport with them when ill health caused him to stay with them for a protracted amount of time.

Paul’s language, however, reveals more about himself than about the Galatians. For Paul the single, most important fact of life was God’s redemption of humanity in Jesus Christ. For some mysterious reason Christ had commissioned him to preach this truth to non-Jews. He did not mean to subjugate anyone but only to express his love for his hearers as Christ showed his love for all by his death on the cross. If strong language was necessary for a people to accept redemption, he would use it. If refined rhetoric would do the job, he would argue with great sophistication. As he himself would write to the Corinthians, “I have become all things to all, so that I might save at least some” (I Cor 9:22).