Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians continues today to make the case for the Gentiles, that they need not become Jews in order to follow Jesus. Paul describes how the Gospel that he, Barnabas and Titus preach to the uncircumcised is the same Gospel that Peter preaches to the circumcised. Paul reminds the community in Galatia that they were given authority and commissioned by James, Cephas (Peter) and John while in Jerusalem. They were sent to bring the gospel to the Gentiles and to be mindful of the poor. This reading shows how passionately Paul takes his mission. Although Paul sees himself not as an equal among peers, he is not afraid to confront Peter. Paul’s unabashed capacity to stand up for what he believes is clearly evident. Paul publicly confronts Peter as acting like a hypocrite. He accuses him as not “walking the talk”. Peter’s actions implied that these Gentiles still needed to eat like Jews. The problem for Paul was two-fold, one that Peter had already eaten with Gentiles and two that Peter had already agreed Gentiles did not have to become Jewish.

Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Actions speak louder than words. “Preach the gospel always if necessary use words” said St. Francis. Obviously, walking the talk has been problematic throughout human and church history as we see in the reading today. We need look no further than our current presidential race to see how easily people exploit and twist an apparent agreement into weapons to be used against each other. Where else but in an election could intellectual gifts be seen as impairment, or a depth of experience be viewed as a disparaging characteristic.

In the gospel, we find the disciples asking Jesus how to pray. His answer is what we now know as the “Our Father”. Let us "mean what we pray" as we pray the words from today's gospel:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.” Luke 11:2b,3-4.

Today, we are being invited to:
Bless the Lord’s name in all we do,
Trust God will provide for us,
Want God to forgive us according to our own ability to forgive.

This list is just cursory, yet we could use it as a way to “mean what we pray.” As Christians, if live what we believe, then we can with integrity and joy “Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.” (Psalm 117)

- Mike Montgomery