Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Everyone probably has memories from their childhood of trying to fit in with a group. It’s a natural thing for us to want to be like others and be liked by others. In today’s individualistic society, we often fail to realize the powerful pull of our communal instinct. Both of our Mass readings for today bear on this subject.
In the gospel reading from Luke, we have a healing-on-the-Sabbath story. What brings the drama to this story is not simply the miracle performed by Jesus in healing the man’s withered hand, but rather, the narrative describing the scribes and the Pharisees in their reaction to Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees appear as a group, such that Jesus looked around at them all (Lk 6:10). And after the healing, they all discussed together what they might do to Jesus (Lk 6:11). In this case, we see the self-assuredness that comes with being in a group. The scribes and Pharisees no doubt shared values... but they were also influenced by each other in such a way that they individually failed to consider the meaning of Jesus healing on the Sabbath. As a group, and hence individually, they failed to recognize Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah.
The epistle writer Paul understood the power of a common body in influencing the behavior of the individual. It is in his letter to the Corinthians that we find a wonderful description of the Church as the body of Christ, with many parts that all function together as one. In the passage we have for today from chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians, we see that Paul is concerned about one person’s immorality. For indeed, Paul knows the influence that even one person can have on an entire group, and there is a need among the Church to recognize sin in their midst and the way that pollutes the entire body.
We are one body in Christ, sharing a common goal of salvation – our eternal end in heaven. This pilgrimage, this battle, is too difficult to undertake on our own. Rather, we journey as a Church, as a group of people who influence each other for better or worse. To the extent that we sin, whether in minor or major ways, we detract from our community’s goal. To the extent that we recognize our sin, confess it, and strive for holiness in all we do, we contribute to our Church.
We are not meant to rest easy in the Church, or to be self-assured like the scribes and the Pharisees. Rather, we challenge each other, just as Paul was urging the Corinthian church to do all those years ago. We remind each other of our final end in heaven. We remind each other that Christ lived, died, and rose from the dead for us. And our Church provides us with countless resources to give us strength for our pilgrimage on earth: the Eucharist and Confession, and all the sacraments, as well as prayers such as the Rosary, holy water, and so many other things.
Today, let us remember that we’re in this together. Let us pray that each of us can be a power for good in our Church and our world.
- Maria Morrow