Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

 Lectionary: 415

Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.

First the Reformation, and then a secular society, challenged the authority of the Church to govern its members. Some people said God never intended anyone to have spiritual authority over anyone; and that the Ten Commandments are only ten suggestions.

But even in a society that insists upon its freedom, authority doesn't go away. The freest society will finally decide that those who lack self-discipline must be disciplined, managed, restricted, contained -- or destroyed. We see that reaction especially in the United States which boasts of its great freedom while incarcerating more people -- and a larger percentage of its people -- than any nation on earth.  

With growth and experience, the first century leaders of the Church found that their congregations needed more than platitudes about doing good and avoiding evil. Some people, whether intentionally or not, were not conforming to the ethos of the community of believers. There was no Canon Law as they formed their new ways of life and worship; but there were Jewish customs and reasonable expectations. Some people assumed authority without the authorization of the Lord's Apostles. Some people, apparently acting with an enthusiastic spirit, were disruptive, disturbing, and uttering nonsense. Some people were interpreting the freedom for which the Lord had bled and died, as a licence to commit adultery and incest. And they were doing so without shame. 

The Gospel of Matthew appeared in a well ordered Church that had several years of hard experience. The leaders had learned to recognize trouble and deal with it. Not talking about it did not help; praying harder proved ineffective. Certain behaviors had to be stopped before they became customs; some individuals had to be addressed, challenged, or accosted before they gathered imitators and followers. If the leaders had no authority to penalize or incarcerate, they could excommunicate and anathematize. It wasn't pretty; it was necessary.

Blessed Michael McGivney
Founder of Knights of Columbus

The Testaments of the Bible, both Old and New, sometimes recall a halcyon era when everything about the community was right. Hosea described the Wilderness Sojourn as a honeymoon; Saint Luke recalled the ready sharing of everyone as the Broke Bread together. But even those early times were remembered by other authors as not so clean or pretty. There was always grumbling, denial, and betrayal. There were always Judases among us.  

The Spirit gives the Church which is immersed in a secular world authority to address these issues, and teaches us to pray for those who must make the hard decisions. The Spirit also teaches us the beauty of obedience. 

Lord, give your people able and generous leaders who are willing to shepherd the Church, and give your shepherds people willing to follow them.