Judging justice and healing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today bring us to consideration of the possibility of  situations where it is desirable to resolve difficulties within Christian communities and not bring the conflict to public attention.

The secular judges

The Letter of Paul to the Corinthians expresses dismay that members of the Christian community are going before pagan judges to resolve their difficulties.

* [6:1–11] Christians at Corinth are suing one another before pagan judges in Roman courts. A barrage of rhetorical questions (1 Cor 6:1–9) betrays Paul’s indignation over this practice, which he sees as an infringement upon the holiness of the Christian community. 6:2–3: The principle to which Paul appeals is an eschatological prerogative promised to Christians: they are to share with Christ the judgment of the world (cf. Dn 7:22, 27). Hence they ought to be able to settle minor disputes within the community.

In the Gospel from Luke, Jesus gathers twelve apostles who accompany Him in ministering healing to both Jews and Gentiles.

* [6:13] He chose Twelve: the identification of this group as the Twelve is a part of early Christian tradition (see 1 Cor 15:5), and in Matthew and Luke, the Twelve are associated with the twelve tribes of Israel (Lk 22:29–30; Mt 19:28).

Beth Samson shares that whenever she brings this Gospel reading into her ministry with college students, she always emphasizes that Jesus calls a person by name to be a part of something greater.

In a time like this when I feel sad and angry about the choices of others in this community of faith, I am reminded of my own call. Jesus has called me – “Beth!” to be an agent of God’s divine Love in this world. This Love requires my responsibility to be an active and creative member of this community of faith by showing Love to my neighbors and, out of Love, calling attention to abuse, injustice, and corruption of power.

Friar Jude Winkler qualifies not “washing our laundry in public” to those issues which are truly trivial. Luke describes Jesus in prayer more that the other Evangelists. Friar Jude shows how Luke connects to Stoic philosophy about the will of God and to the connection that the ancients made between illness and evil spirits.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, contrasts the attitude of the Western Church to have a more static view of both Christ and the Trinity, (more a mathematical conundrum) with the Eastern understanding of an invitation to new consciousness.

The Cappadocian teaching moved to the West but was not broadly communicated. We find an active Trinitarianism in many Catholic mystics (e.g., Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila). Scottish theologian Richard of St. Victor (1110–1173) reflected this early theology. He taught at great length that for God to be truth, God had to be one; for God to be love, God had to be two; and for God to be joy, God had to be three! [

The sex abuse scandals and the cover up of perpetrators is a tragic example of error in keeping the Church away from oversight by the secular authorities. The example of Jesus to seek our accord with the will of God through prayer will open us to new consciousness through the Trinity.

References


(n.d.). 1 Corinthians chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 11, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/6
(n.d.). Luke chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 11, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/6:37
(n.d.). Online Ministries Home Page - Creighton University. Retrieved September 11, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/preparing.html
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 11, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/