Brothers and sisters:
As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to the tradition of men, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.
I must be getting old and simple because simple, direct statements like Saint Paul's dictum -- "walk in him, rooted in him, and built upon him" -- make perfect sense to me. I am acutely aware that I have acted foolishly in the past, I am still capable of it, and very probably will again; and yet I am all the more confident of the Lord's gracious regard for me. He does not regret my being, or yours.
I feel "established in faith and abounding in thanksgiving" and I can only try to represent that Church which spurns the empty, seductive philosophies of our time. They are abundant, persistent, and appealing to people who lack the spiritual intuition to recognize hogwash. In the VA hospital, I often meet "History Channel Catholics" with that medium's absurdly implausible theories about religion, Jesus, and the Catholic Church. I suppose if I were selling stuff I would use the same insulting techniques against consumers; but because I serve the Lord I try to appeal to their higher aspirations rather than their baser appetites.
However, as the New Testament documents and Christian writers of every generation attest, the Gospel has always been opposed by the traditions of men and the elemental powers of the world.
What's especially frustrating is that people buy glitzy claptrap even as they dismiss the beautiful teachings of our Catholic Church about the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, the Eucharist, the Virgin Mother, and the saints. They prefer the culture of death which offers simple solutions to intractable problems that only lead into a vortex of ever-worst consequences.
We have to start each day in Christ Jesus the Lord, walking in him, rooted in him, built upon him, and established in the faith we were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. His Holy Spirit still whispers in our ears, "This is the way, walk in it."
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.