Tradition and Teaching

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to ponder the tension between the teaching of Jesus and our comfort with human traditions. 

Theology and Ministry

In the Reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul recalls the basic kerygma about Jesus’ resurrection.

* [15:1–58] Some consider this chapter an earlier Pauline composition inserted into the present letter. The problem that Paul treats is clear to a degree: some of the Corinthians are denying the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15:12), apparently because of their inability to imagine how any kind of bodily existence could be possible after death (1 Cor 15:35). It is plausibly supposed that their attitude stems from Greek anthropology, which looks with contempt upon matter and would be content with the survival of the soul, and perhaps also from an overrealized eschatology of gnostic coloration, such as that reflected in 2 Tm 2:18, which considers the resurrection a purely spiritual experience already achieved in baptism and in the forgiveness of sins. Paul, on the other hand, will affirm both the essential corporeity of the resurrection and its futurity. His response moves through three steps: a recall of the basic kerygma about Jesus’ resurrection (1 Cor 15:1–11), an assertion of the logical inconsistencies involved in denial of the resurrection (1 Cor 15:12–34), and an attempt to perceive theologically what the properties of the resurrected body must be (1 Cor 15:35–58).

* [15:1–11] Paul recalls the tradition (1 Cor 15:3–7), which he can presuppose as common ground and which provides a starting point for his argument. This is the fundamental content of all Christian preaching and belief (1 Cor 15:1–2, 11).

* [15:3–7] The language by which Paul expresses the essence of the “gospel” (1 Cor 15:1) is not his own but is drawn from older credal formulas. This credo highlights Jesus’ death for our sins (confirmed by his burial) and Jesus’ resurrection (confirmed by his appearances) and presents both of them as fulfillment of prophecy. In accordance with the scriptures: conformity of Jesus’ passion with the scriptures is asserted in Mt 16:1; Lk 24:25–27, 32, 44–46. Application of some Old Testament texts (Ps 2:7; 16:8–11) to his resurrection is illustrated by Acts 2:27–31; 13:29–39; and Is 52:13–53:12 and Hos 6:2 may also have been envisaged.

* [15:9–11] A persecutor may have appeared disqualified (ouk…hikanos) from apostleship, but in fact God’s grace has qualified him. Cf. the remarks in 2 Corinthians about his qualifications (2 Cor 2:16; 3:5) and his greater labors (2 Cor 11:23). These verses are parenthetical, but a nerve has been touched (the references to his abnormal birth and his activity as a persecutor may echo taunts from Paul’s opponents), and he is instinctively moved to self-defense. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 118 is part of a thanksgiving liturgy vividly recounting God’s rescue of the people.

* [Psalm 118] A thanksgiving liturgy accompanying a procession of the king and the people into the Temple precincts. After an invocation in the form of a litany (Ps 118:1–4), the psalmist (very likely speaking in the name of the community) describes how the people confidently implored God’s help (Ps 118:5–9) when hostile peoples threatened its life (Ps 118:10–14); vividly God’s rescue is recounted (Ps 118:15–18). Then follows a possible dialogue at the Temple gates between the priests and the psalmist as the latter enters to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice (Ps 118:19–25). Finally, the priests impart their blessing (Ps 118:26–27), and the psalmist sings in gratitude (Ps 118:28–29). (Psalms, PSALM 118 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus presents the Pardon of the Sinful Woman.

* [7:36–50] In this story of the pardoning of the sinful woman Luke presents two different reactions to the ministry of Jesus. A Pharisee, suspecting Jesus to be a prophet, invites Jesus to a festive banquet in his house, but the Pharisee’s self-righteousness leads to little forgiveness by God and consequently little love shown toward Jesus. The sinful woman, on the other hand, manifests a faith in God (Lk 7:50) that has led her to seek forgiveness for her sins, and because so much was forgiven, she now overwhelms Jesus with her display of love; cf. the similar contrast in attitudes in Lk 18:9–14. The whole episode is a powerful lesson on the relation between forgiveness and love.

* [7:36] Reclined at table: the normal posture of guests at a banquet. Other oriental banquet customs alluded to in this story include the reception by the host with a kiss (Lk 7:45), washing the feet of the guests (Lk 7:44), and the anointing of the guests’ heads (Lk 7:46).

* [7:41] Days’ wages: one denarius is the normal daily wage of a laborer.

* [7:47] Her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love: literally, “her many sins have been forgiven, seeing that she has loved much.” That the woman’s sins have been forgiven is attested by the great love she shows toward Jesus. Her love is the consequence of her forgiveness. This is also the meaning demanded by the parable in Lk 7:41–43. (Luke, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Steve Scholer asks “Was Paul’s use of the phrase “and in which you also stand” a metaphor for “action?” Was Paul subtly telling us that if we don’t want to “believe in vain” we must actively live out our faith and beliefs, not just by memorizing the Prayer to Saint Michael or the Hail Holy Queen, but by also demonstrating our faith in how we live our lives?” 

How we interact with those around us? The compassion we feel and show for those who are less fortunate than us, and even those more fortunate than us?

So, as Fr. Andy Alexander likes to say, “As we go about our hectic, all too busy lives,” let’s make sure we use our most precious resource, our time, in not just holding fast to the words we hear in church, but in actually living our faith in thought, word and deed.

Today, when we spend time in prayer and meditation and do our daily Examen of Conscience, let’s focus on feeling God’s loving embrace in all of our activities, from the mundane to the important, and be aware that God is directing us in every step we take. And, most importantly, let each of us live out our faith by sharing God’s love with those we meet by showing justice, compassion, forgiveness and a big dose of humility. (Scholer, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus the Physician brings miraculous healing to the woman's sins,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).

"Healing the sick is a physician's glory. Our Lord did this to increase the disgrace of the Pharisee, who discredited the glory of our Physician. He worked signs in the streets, worked even greater signs once he entered the Pharisee's house than those that he had worked outside. In the streets, he healed sick bodies, but inside, he healed sick souls. Outside, he had given life to the death of Lazarus. Inside, he gave life to the death of the sinful woman. He restored the living soul to a dead body that it had left, and he drove off the deadly sin from a sinful woman in whom it dwelt. That blind Pharisee, for whom wonders were not enough, discredited the common things he saw because of the wondrous things he failed to see." (excerpt from HOMILY ON OUR LORD 42.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on Paul and the difficulty for his audience about the resurrection of the dead. The soul is imprisoned in the body in Greek spirituality. Greeks wanted to be ethereal floating on the heavens after death. He speaks of the resurrection of Jesus and its witnesses. There is some confusing repetition since “The Twelve” are the Apostles? Paul declares Jesus appeared to over 500 people after His Resurrection some of whom are still alive. This claim could be easily confirmed by his audience. An appearance to Paul as one born by Cesarean section and torn out of the womb is linked to his working harder than the other Apostles. The Biblical tradition of dying for sins resonates with the Songs of the Suffering Servant who died, was buried and raised again to life. Friar Jude observes that Luke loved to talk about women and sinners. The woman in the Gospel text today shows Jesus great respect. A belief in the contagion of sin by the Pharisees has them to question, perhaps rhetorically, if Jesus knows who is anointing Him. Jesus' response is to raise the question of “Who loves more the little pardoned or those who receive great pardon”. Friar Jude notes that reference to being “saved” in Luke means being both physically and spiritually healed.

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 quotes “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10). What an exclamation! Paul sees his whole life as a manifestation of God’s grace. Even his former sinful life reflects that grace. Whatever sins lie in the past now serve to magnify how merciful God has been toward him, and his grace is at work in and through him in the present. He works hard as an apostle to the Gentiles because God has given him a heavy burden of service and suffering. And even this heroic labor shows the grace of God working through him.

Can you say with boldness, “By the grace of God I am what I am”? If you are like most people, you might veer between extremes when you reflect on your life: debilitating regret for the past and self-doubt in the present; or rationalizing your past and taking pride in the present. You might heap scorn on yourself as you replay some past sin. Or you might congratulate yourself on your clean, well-ordered life, as if you had achieved it on your own. But the Lord sees and loves you as you are, cleansed of past sin and empowered by his grace for his service. Like Paul, thank God for his past mercies and present grace, and place your future in his powerful and gracious hands.

“Thank you, Lord, for your grace at work in me!” (Meditation on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, 2026)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces theologian Kat Armas who describes how Paul’s belief in Christ’s presence in each person upended cultural hierarchies that strictly defined power and authority. To engage Paul’s work with honesty and care is to resist the urge to reduce him to either a revolutionary or a mere enforcer of empire, recognizing instead a man shaped by both revelation and limitation. Paul’s teachings about the role of women in the early churches reflect this tension.

In 1 Corinthians 7:4, Paul writes that a husband’s body belongs to his wife, a shocking statement for his time. In a world where a husband had nearly unchecked control over his wife’s body, Paul is saying no, this power is shared. This reveals the egalitarian nature of the kingdom of God, where authority is redefined. And yet, in 1 Corinthians 11:5–10, it seems Paul is upholding gendered practices by instructing women to cover their heads while praying, grounding his reasoning in creation order. 

Perhaps the most powerful challenge to the imperial order comes in Galatians 3:28, where Paul declares that in Christ there is no male or female, no slave or free—a radical vision that upends the social hierarchies of his time. If the household is a microcosm of the state, what kind of world might take shape if families lived as if this were true? It would be something unrecognizable to Rome, something that threatened the very foundations of its rule….  

[Paul’s] teachings suggest a kind of shared power within the family—a power-with not a power-over.  

Power-with is mutual. It requires listening, respecting, and honoring the dignity of each person, no matter their age or status…. Power-with creates a culture of empathy and co-operation, not domination through fear or force. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to guide our mission of demonstrating our faith in how we live our lives.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/7? 

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. (2026, September 18). The Word Among Us. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/09/17/1670931/ 

1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/15? 

Psalms, PSALM 118 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/118?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Changing the Paradigm of Power-Over. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/changing-the-paradigm-of-power-over/ 

Scholer, S. (2026, September 17). Daily Reflection September 17, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-17-2026 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Which Will Love Him More? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2026&date=sep17 

Discern the Way of Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to work with the premise that the Way of Love is our path to transform our understanding of faith in action in our environment.

Along the Way of Love

In the Reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul declares The Way of Love.

* [13:1–13] This chapter involves a shift of perspective and a new point. All or part of the material may once have been an independent piece in the style of Hellenistic eulogies of virtues, but it is now integrated, by editing, into the context of 1 Cor 12–14 (cf. the reference to tongues and prophecy) and into the letter as a whole (cf. the references to knowledge and to behavior). The function of 1 Cor 13 within the discussion of spiritual gifts is to relativize all the charisms by contrasting them with the more basic, pervasive, and enduring value that gives them their purpose and their effectiveness. The rhetoric of this chapter is striking.

* [13:1–3] An inventory of gifts, arranged in careful gradation: neither tongues (on the lowest rung), nor prophecy, knowledge, or faith, nor even self-sacrifice has value unless informed by love.

* [13:4–7] This paragraph is developed by personification and enumeration, defining love by what it does or does not do. The Greek contains fifteen verbs; it is natural to translate many of them by adjectives in English.

* [13:8–13] The final paragraph announces its topic, Love never fails (1 Cor 13:8), then develops the permanence of love in contrast to the charisms (1 Cor 13:9–12), and finally asserts love’s superiority even over the other “theological virtues” (1 Cor 13:13).

* [13:13] In speaking of love, Paul is led by spontaneous association to mention faith and hope as well. They are already a well-known triad (cf. 1 Thes 1:3), three interrelated (cf. 1 Cor 13:7) features of Christian life, more fundamental than any particular charism. The greatest…is love: love is operative even within the other members of the triad (7), so that it has a certain primacy among them. Or, if the perspective is temporal, love will remain (cf. “never fails,” 1 Cor 13:8) even when faith has yielded to sight and hope to possession. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 33 proclaims God choosing them as a special people and their faithful response.

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents Jesus’ Testimony to John.

* [11:16–19] See Lk 7:31–35. The meaning of the parable (Mt 11:16–17) and its explanation (Mt 11:18–19b) is much disputed. A plausible view is that the children of the parable are two groups, one of which proposes different entertainments to the other that will not agree with either proposal. The first represents John, Jesus, and their disciples; the second those who reject John for his asceticism and Jesus for his table association with those despised by the religiously observant. Mt 11:19c (her works) forms an inclusion with Mt 11:2 (“the works of the Messiah”). The original form of the saying is better preserved in Lk 7:35 “…wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” There John and Jesus are the children of Wisdom; here the works of Jesus the Messiah are those of divine Wisdom, of which he is the embodiment. Some important textual witnesses, however, have essentially the same reading as in Luke. (Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

Ronald Fussell asks What is a spiritual gift? 

It is granted unto us by the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts are not kept for ourselves. Rather, they are gifts that we give freely to others around us. In today’s readings, Paul is reminding us of a “more excellent way.” While we may be blessed with different spiritual gifts, the most important thing is that their use be a genuine expression of love. I think this is a heartening perspective that brings some peace when the knowledge that we so desperately desire eludes us.

One line from today’s Gospel that drew the focus of my reflection was the last one, “But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” I really toiled over how it is connected to the greater context of today’s readings. Perhaps Jesus’ words have to do with how our task is not to understand every single thing, but rather, amid the uncertainty, we need only to apply our spiritual gifts with a genuine love for our neighbors. (Fussell, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in 1 Corinthians, Paul speaks about the charisms and some  use of them for self aggrandizement. He draws upon a preexisting hymn to describe love and reveals these verses as an examination of conscience for us. If he speaks without love, at times about glossolalia, or speaking in tongues, it seems the most spiritual but without love it is nothing. Our motivation is everything. Children do not know sacrificial love at their point of development due to the lack of abstraction in thought. Paul is growing psychologically and spiritually. When we don’t know perfectly, we surrender to the mystery. The Gospel of Luke notes the people did not accept John the Baptist or Jesus.  Friar Jude wonders why we are not willing to accept the Way God interacts with us, sometimes in mysterious ways.

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13 comments that we learn that the less we focus on the way people are (or are not) loving us and the more we focus on the way we are loving them, the more we will experience his unfailing love.

Every day, your heavenly Father gives you countless ways to encounter his love: in prayer, in nature, in loved ones, and even in your enemies. He also gives you countless opportunities each day to share his love. So pay attention and keep your heart soft. Follow Paul’s advice and “pursue love” wherever you see it (1 Corinthians 14:1). If you do, you’ll find that God in his love has always been pursuing you.

“Lord, pour out your perfect love on me so that I can learn how to love perfectly.” (Meditation on 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Theologian Richard Beck who considers how the apostle Paul challenged the ancient world’s understanding of gift and grace as something one had to earn and repay. Beck explains how the small churches or ekklesia that Paul founded were able to exist only because of this radically new understanding of grace: 

Gathered around the message of grace, Paul’s churches were diverse collections of people from every conceivable walk of life and social strata. Rich and poor, Jew and gentile…. In a world divided by class conflict, religious prejudice, and ethnic animus, Christian communities tore down the wall of hostility that existed between social groups so that the single family of God—­pluralistic, multicultural, and diverse—­could emerge…. 

Grace, declared Paul, ignores hierarchies of worth. Grace destroys social rankings based upon value. In the eyes of God ­there are no inferior versus superior­ people.  

Paul’s preaching about the incongruity of grace was social dynamite, blowing to smithereens every attempt to rank­ human persons on a scale of value and worth. In the hands of Paul, grace became a tool of social leveling, creating capacities for egalitarian and demo­cratic forms of social life….  

Since Christ had welcomed the early Christians, unconditionally and irrespective of worth, they ­were called upon to extend that same unconditional welcome to each other. As Paul would ask of them, “Welcome each other, as Christ has welcomed you.” Despite their differences, grace had made them a ­family. No one would be honored or elevated over another. God had loved them all, fully and equally. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the mission of our Baptismal anointing, as priest, prophet, and leader to proclaim with our lives the unmerited grace that enlivens our faith, hope, and love.

References

Fussell, R. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved September 16, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-16-2026 

Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/7?31 

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 16, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/09/16/1670104/ 

1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/13 

Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Preacher of Grace. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 16, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-preacher-of-grace/