Greet Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life...
Greet my beloved Epaenetus...
Greet Mary...
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners;
Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord...
Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ,
and my beloved Stachys.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
After three weeks of daily readings, we come to the end of Saint Paul's Epistle to the Romans; and we're reminded again that Christianity with its teachings and principles is not idealistic.
The Apostle has spelled out his doctrines about sin, redemption, and faith. He has pointed out the dangers of freedom and urged them to "owe love" to one another as Christ loves us. And he has assured them that the Holy Spirit makes this remarkable life possible. Without the Holy Spirit and the fidelity which God's Spirit arouses in us, we're incapable of the most ordinary kinds of sacrifice.
The Greek ethos of the Roman empire knew ideals and idealism; their philosophy was all about notions of how people should live. Many of those principles -- like loyalty to and affection for one's own family -- arise from our human nature. But, as Saint Paul and his Jewish people knew so well, our human nature is seriously disabled. Because "we have sinned, we and our ancestors have sinned," we cannot live as we're supposed to live.
We can see how easy it should be. We can tell other people how they should live; we can plan to live like that ourselves. We'll budget our income and expenses; we'll remain friends, spouses, and parents for life; we'll pay back our debts; we'll practice moderation and prudence in our recreations; we'll do all things well!
But we don't and we won't, because we haven't the Spirit to make it happen.
The Pharisees who demanded a sign from Jesus knew his teachings were right. They didn't know his Spirit; they could not imagine where he came from. And so they had to justify their cynicism by testing him. It began as they argued with him, but grew more absurd as they demanded signs from him.
He saw the truth as clearly as they could forecast the weather.
“When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain—and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot—and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
They could not see what he saw so clearly because they were controlled by their fears, impulses, expectations, and desires. They lacked his Spirit. The day would come when their opposition to Jesus would become unmoored and irrational. The entire city of Jerusalem, with its religious and civil leaders, would rise up as one and demand his crucifixion.
Saint Paul's friends in Rome, those he greeted by name and many others, already had experience of the Holy Spirit, fidelity, and freedom. They knew, and had lived, the truth. The Epistle only reminded them of the principles of our life. They were the rules spelled out for coming generations to ponder and emulate as they were also swept along by the Spirit of Jesus.
They felt that Spirit every time they greeted one another with a holy kiss, as we do to this day during our Mass. Ours is not an idealistic way. We do it and prove it daily as we live in the Spirit and are guided by its direction.
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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.