Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Monte Cassino Shrine
at Saint Meinrad, Indiana

Lectionary: 288


It is my judgment, therefore,
that we ought to stop troubling the  Gentiles who turn to God,
but tell them by letter to avoid  pollution from idols,
unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.
For Moses, for generations now,
has had those who proclaim him in every town,
as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.” 


Jesus intended to include gentiles in his movement, but apparently he forgot to tell his disciples. They assumed from the beginning their mission was to fellow Israelites throughout the Roman Empire. They were not only surprised that the gentiles took such interest in their gospel; they didn’t know what to do when they overwhelmed their Christian assemblies. If at first they could ignore them as a minority, the Apostles finally realized the gentiles would redefine the whole mission of the Church. 

James, who speaks up today in support of Peter’s proposal, was initially opposed to admitting gentiles. He lived in the Jewish capital of Jerusalem and had little contact with non-Jews. But hearing the experience of his wide-ranging fellow apostles, he began to imagine a wider church and a mission to the entire world. 

More importantly, he saw that “God wills it.” Leadership in the church must pay close attention to the Holy Spirit and must always be prepared to get out of God’s way. No one can imagine the height, breadth and depth of God’s plans. Some European missionaries, coming to North America, objected so strongly to the culture of the aborigines – their food, clothing and customs – that they spent more energy suppressing than building. The Church of that time, locked in controversy with the Reformation, could not imagine how the Eucharist might be enculturated and celebrated by non-Europeans. Three centuries would pass before the Church would permit a vernacular version of the Mass. 

More recently American bishops imagined African-American Catholics, but not African-American priests. After the Civil War the pope challenged the American bishops on that policy but they still dragged their feet. That initiative fell to the Paulist and Josephite missionaries. 

Saint James, hearing Peter’s testimony, bent as far as he could when he proposed the Church should welcome gentiles. He only required that they “avoid pollution from idols, unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.” History would show the gentiles could not observe most of those restraints. They continued to eat the beef that had been sacrificed in the bull fight arena, strangled animals and raw, bloodied meat. And the controversy over “unlawful marriage” continues to this day. 

Over the front door
of the shrine

The Apostle James acted in the spirit of Nicodemus and Gamaliel. These tradition-bound Jews saw that God acts in our world and they have only to get out of the way. Failure to do so would rightly be called a “sin against the spirit.” 

There is a huge body of thought today that says God takes no part in human affairs. But we know differently. Not only must we be prepared to get out of the way when God moves among us, we should be eager see it!