Blasphemies and heretics

The Gospel of Mark in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today addresses the accusation against Jesus that he was able to cast out demons through an association with the Evil One. The dialogue points out that a kingdom, even an evil one, cannot exist when it is divided against itself. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Saint Francis de Sales who preached and taught in defence of the Roman Catholic Church in Geneva during the development of the Reformed Churches This was a time when heretics were around every corner. In the time since the Reformation the Church has realized that the division in the family is not as intended by the Founder. The unity among brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ is far greater than the divisions. Even the teaching of Saint Francis de Sales contains much on piety and love that all Christians can embrace. We stand as the psalmist today and “Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody”. We consider with the author of the Hebrews the radical relationship with the Divine lived in Christ through the Holy Spirit and the disputes with brothers and sisters become opportunities to attempt together to peer through the dark glass with which our human nature looks to the Eternal.