Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

 Lectionary: 385

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew....

Today's first reading recalls the troubled northern kingdom of Israel. King Solomon had ruled David's united kingdom so badly, piling up wealth and wives for himself while building a temple dedicated as much to himself as to God, that the unrest led to civil war and secession.

The Hebrew prophets like Hosea disapproved of Israel's rebellion and insisted that the true worship of God should take place only within Solomon's temple in God's holy city. If there had been true worship in the mountains of Israel on local altars, they were now cancelled by God's decree. 

The King of Israel, however, defied the prophets, erected another temple and supplied it with statues (golden calves!) to represent God. You can imagine the horror of those who remembered their history and knew the Law. No one should even attempt to imagine what God looks like! To do so was blasphemy. 

Tragically, history marched on. Because God's people behaved without regard for the covenant, acted like any other nation and were swept aside by Assyria. Judah survived a while longer; and then the entire region was swept into the empires of Babylon, Rome, Byzantium, Islam, Britain, and so forth.

Jesus's choice of twelve apostles symbolized a new beginning for God's faithful people without loss of their ancient continuity. There could be no rupture between the Law and the One who fulfills the Law. The faithful would be those Jews and gentiles who belong to the Lord not by familial descent, nationality, or language; but by the Spirit of fidelity which God bestows. They are descendants of the faithful Abraham by their faith, and not by genealogical descent. As Saint John says in his preamble to the Gospel: 

...who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

We understand faith as a gift which the Lord offers to everyone through the proclamation of the Gospel. They come to Him in obedience to his call as they turn away from their former life of sin. No one can simply quit sinning and choose righteousness without God's grace. Those who attempt it may succeed in fooling themselves but their wilful self-centeredness will be no secret from God and obvious to everyone else. 

And again, as Saint John says, 

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another. (15:16-17)

And so the Lord, in today's gospel, chooses twelve disciples to be apostles, assigning each man his position in the fellowship of the Church. The Church honors his choice to this day first with Baptism and Confirmation. These sacraments bring an indelible sign on the individual soul indicating the Lord's irrevocable choice. In more contemporary language we speak of an ontological transformation of the believer's being into a resemblance of God's holiness. While every human is created in God's image and likeness, his holiness is especially bestowed upon his chosen. They are set apart, and they go apart to be with the Lord in the wilderness. 

Ordination to the role of bishop, priest, or deacon is like the setting apart of the apostles from the disciples. They remain always as disciples, but have particular responsibility within the Church; a responsibility which comes with more demanding standards of holiness.

The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that not even Jesus could decide on his own to be a priest: 

No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him:

“You are my son;

this day I have begotten you”

My reflection has travelled a long path from the ancient controversies in Israel to the present controversies about ordination. And it is a history of controversy! No one who studies the Bible can be surprised by that. Quarrels among God's people begin with God's freedom and his reminder, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways!" (Is 55:8)

Anyone can disagree with the Church's teaching but they should at least recognize the Church's reluctance to alter its ancient understanding, customs, laws, and practices. Confronted by today's weird theories, hysterical ideologies, polarized controversies, and insurmountable challenges, we are reminded that we've always had our backs to the wall! 

But experience shows that fidelity is more reliable than conforming to changing customs and expectations. They will dissipate like the morning dew while the Word of the Lord remains forever. 

As Saint Teresa of Kolkata said, "We are called to fidelity, not to success."