Sunday, 4/28/13
Let us consider lines
of thought suggested by each of the readings. The first reading describes Paul
and Barnabus winding up their first missionary journey.
They had spent a few
Sabbaths each in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. Now, on their return they
spend another Sabbath in each. Our reading tells us that they appointed elders
in each town, and it is worth noting that Luke’s word which we translate as
elders was presbuteros. It is further
worth noting that our word priest is a contraction of the word presbuteros. So, it is correct for us say
that Paul and Barnabas appointed priests in ever town.
For us today there
are two key things we should note about being Catholic priests. The first is
that all Catholic were made priests as part of their Baptisms; and they should
share offering the Mass with the priest at the altar and with Christ. The
second thing is that Catholic women are all priests already, and they shouldn’t
be campaigning for the pomp of the priesthood that was added to it under
Feudalism.
As for St. John’s
vision of the Holy City in the second reading, I think we should stir ourselves
up with the last verse of the Holy City song.
And once again the
scene was chang’d,
New earth there seem’d to be,
I saw the Holy City
Beside
the tideless sea;
The light of God was on its streets,
The gates were open
wide,
And all who would might enter, and no one was denied.
No need of moon
or stars by night,
Or sun to shine by day,
It was the new Jerusalem,
That
would not pass away,
As for the Gospel
where Jesus said, “This is how all will know that our are my disciples, if you
have love for one another.”
We can think of the
force of love as similar to the force of gravity. With gravity if you let go of
a book the gravity of the floor pulls the book down bang against it. Love is
the undeniable attraction of anything we perceive as good. If we could just
perceive the inner goodness of every person created in God’s image we would be
drawn bang in love into their arms.
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