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Saturday, September 6, 2008
1 Corinthians 4:6-15, Psalm 145, Luke 6:1-5
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/090608.shtml
SNAPSHOTS
"God has put us apostles at the end of the line." —1 Corinthians 4:9
If someone asked you to draw three pictures which represented something of
what it means to be a leader and a member of Christ's Church, what would
you draw? Possibly you would picture people praying, singing, reading the
Bible, or helping the poor. In today's first reading, Paul pictures the
Church and its leaders in three ways.
First, he pictures the apostles as "men doomed to die in the arena" (1 Cor
4:9), that is, about to be thrown to the lions (see 1 Cor 15:32; 2 Tm
4:17; 2 Cor 1:8). This literally happened to countless Christians in the
first century.
Paul's second picture of the apostles and the Church is that of a cosmic
theater with such a gigantic screen that the whole universe, including
angels and humans, can gawk at us (1 Cor 4:9). What's playing at the
mega-movies is a comedy. We're the comedy. The cosmos is not laughing with
us, but at us. The joke is on us. We have become "fools on Christ's
account" (1 Cor 4:10).
Paul's last picture of us is that of a dump, a pile of garbage, "the
world's refuse, the scum of all; that is the present state of affairs" (1
Cor 4:13). Like Jesus, we have been rejected and discarded (see Lk 20:17).
We give off "an odor" which repels the worldly (2 Cor 2:16).
The point of Paul's pictures is that the Church, like its Head, is a "sign
of contradiction" to the world (see Lk 2:34). As followers of Christ, we
are radically opposed to the ways of the world. It hates us because we
don't belong to it (Jn 15:18-19). However, we love the people in the world
so much (see Jn 3:16) that we confront them and call them to faith and
repentance.
Prayer: Father, through the cross may I be crucified to the world and the
world to me (Gal 6:14).
Promise: "He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him, He hears their cry
and saves them." —Ps 145:19
Praise: Sandra continues to evangelize her family and tries to reach them
mostly through her quiet example.
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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my
permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from
August 1, 2008 through September 30, 2008
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, February 25, 2008
The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be
free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have
granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or
statements expressed.
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