In the Scriptures today we are presented with diverse personalities. St. Paul is inviting people to make a choice and he suggests that they consider modeling themselves on what they observed in him and his followers. In the gospel, Jesus tells us about a person who is quite clever and manages to save his skin by cooking the books.
St. Paul is correct when he tells us that there are people out there who are enemies of the cross. For His part, Jesus observed that they are not only clever in disguising their ambitions but are good at it.
Which leads me to ask, what is our messaging as Catholics? What beliefs do we have and how are they being expressed and put into action?
Mohandas Gandhi, a disciple of non-violence once remarked, “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians.” What would cause Gandhi, a man of deep morality and humanity, to make such a statement?
A story is told of an American tourist who visited a renowned rabbi who lived in a simple room with a few books, a table, and a bench. “Sir where is your furniture?” asked the tourist. The rabbi replied, “Young man, where is yours?” “I’m just passing through,” the young man said. “So am I,” said the rabbi.
St. Paul said as much when preaching to the Philippians and reminding them that our citizenship is in heaven. As citizens of the wealthiest nation ever, what does it mean to embody the values of those ‘just passing through”? What does it mean for us to hear as we did today that we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly bodies to conform with His glorified Body?
As I indicated earlier, messaging today goes from A to Z and we are asked to appropriate the message that best exemplifies what it means to be a follower of Jesus and live it. It was during the praying of the Divine Office and in particular, Morning Prayer on Thursday that the reading from I Peter offered us a message that could model for us what a follower of Jesus believes:
“Let your love for one another be constant, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be mutually hospitable without complaining. As generous distributors of God’s manifold grace, put your gifts at the service of one another, each in the measure he has received. The one who speaks is to deliver God’s message. The one who serves is to do it with the strength provided by God. Thus, in all of you, God is to be glorified through Jesus Christ.”
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