Showing all posts by Elija

Mt 9:9-13

‘As Jesus was walking on from there he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. Now while he was at table in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When he heard this he replied, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice. And indeed I came to call not the upright, but sinner.’ Today the Lord gives us three indications that should always accompany us in our evangelistic attempts: Read More

Eph 2:19-22

Brothers: you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors; you are fellow-citizens with the holy people of God and part of God’s household. You are built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets, and Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone. Every structure knit together in him grows into a holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built up into a dwelling-place of God in the Spirit.

On this day on which we celebrate the Feast of an apostle, it is worth meditating a little on the Church.

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Over the past few months, we have systematically worked our way through the Gospel of John, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Letter to the Romans. Starting today, I will return to meditating on the daily reading or gospel. I have already meditated on many of the daily readings in recent years, so at times I will draw on reflections from past years. Occasionally, I will also take the readings according to the traditional calendar, that is, those read at the Tridentine Mass.

Mt 8:28-34 Read More

Rom 14:5-6

One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

In his next instructions to the Christian community of Rome, St. Paul intends to avoid unnecessary discord. It is important to distinguish whether what is at stake is the truth or simply differing opinions. The truth must be firmly defended. On the other hand, differing views can be allowed in second-order matters and should not give rise to quarrels. Evidently, there were disputes in the Christian community about whether meat could be eaten. It is likely that it was especially the Judeo-Christians who were concerned about this issue, since meat could have been sacrificed to idols.

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Rom 13:1-7

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

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