Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest
The Corinthians are in trouble with Saint Paul in today’s first reading. Apparently, instead of settling disputes between themselves in the Christian community, they were going to non-church authorities. Paul calls these external authorities the “unjust ones.” He does not mince his words in this passage, saying that he says these things “to shame you.” What are we to make of such statements from Paul?
Sometimes, his letters seem so particular to their historical situation. This is one of those times. But the second half of the passage speaks to all of us. It reminds us that our community is called to something more. We are called to treat each other in a way that the rest of the world might not recognize. Deception, injustice, promiscuity, and stealing have no place in the Christian community. In fact, these things serve to undermine the Church’s mission. By virtue of our baptism, we are “sanctified,” made holy, in order that we should treat each other as if each person were Christ himself.
As a reminder of the call to holiness, today’s gospel reading is the call of the twelve Apostles. This simple passage reminds us of two things: 1) our community is human, and 2) our community is a tradition. The first aspect of the community means that we will, just like the Corinthians, continue to have tension and disagreements between us. How we deal with them is the important point. Will we choose the way of Christ in self-giving love or will we choose the way of a contentious, cold court?
The second point is important for how we answer this question. We do not stand alone, as isolated individuals who happen to worship in the same place. We are members of the Body of Christ, which includes not only those who share our present time and place but those who came before us, stretching all the way back to the Apostles. Being in a community takes hard work and requires that we face the question of how to deal with our very human problems constantly. But we do that hard work in the tradition of the Apostles, those who saw the risen Christ and handed on the faith that would be passed down through the centuries to us. May the intercession of St. Paul help us to deal with each other in the way of Christian charity--in our families, local churches and the Church universal.
- Katherine Schimdt