20190522
PRUNING
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
22 MAY, 2019,
Wednesday, 5th Week of Easter
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
White.
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First reading
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Acts 15:1-6 ©
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They were to go up to Jerusalem and
discuss the problem with the apostles and elders
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Some men came down from Judaea and taught
the brothers, ‘Unless you have yourselves circumcised in the tradition of Moses
you cannot be saved.’ This led to disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had
had a long argument with these men it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas and
others of the church should go up to Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the
apostles and elders.
All
the members of the church saw them off, and as they passed through Phoenicia
and Samaria they told how the pagans had been converted, and this news was
received with the greatest satisfaction by the brothers. When they arrived in
Jerusalem they were welcomed by the church and by the apostles and elders, and
gave an account of all that God had done with them.
But
certain members of the Pharisees’ party who had become believers objected,
insisting that the pagans should be circumcised and instructed to keep the Law
of Moses. The apostles and elders met to look into the matter.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 121(122):1-5 ©
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I rejoiced when I heard
them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
or
Alleluia!
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
‘Let us go to God’s house.’
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O
Jerusalem.
I rejoiced when I heard
them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
or
Alleluia!
Jerusalem is built as a city
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
I rejoiced when I heard
them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
or
Alleluia!
For Israel’s law it is,
there to praise the Lord’s
name.
There were set the thrones of judgement
of the house of David.
I rejoiced when I heard
them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel Acclamation
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Jn10:14
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my own sheep and my own know me.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Jn15:4,5
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Make your home in me, as I make mine in
you,
says the Lord;
whoever remains in me bears fruit in
plenty.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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John 15:1-8 ©
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I am the vine, you are the branches
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Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I am the true vine,
and my Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in me that bears no fruit
he cuts away,
and every branch that does bear fruit
he prunes to make it bear even more.
You are pruned already,
by means of the word that I have spoken to
you.
Make your home in me, as I make mine in
you.
As a branch cannot bear fruit all by
itself,
but must remain part of the vine,
neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine,
you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty;
for cut off from me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
is like a branch that has been thrown
away – he withers;
these branches are collected and thrown on
the fire,
and they are burnt.
If you remain in me
and my words remain in you,
you may ask what you will
and you shall get it.
It is to the glory of my Father that you
should bear much fruit,
and then you will be my disciples.’
PRUNING THE
CHURCH OF CHRIST
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ACTS 15:1-6; PS 122:1-5; JOHN 15:1-8 ]
Is Christianity an
offshoot of Judaism, a sect or a different religion altogether? This was
the crux of the crisis in Jerusalem. How they viewed Christianity
determined how Christians conducted themselves.
Initially, Christianity
was seen as the full flowering of Judaism by Christian Jewish converts. After all, the earliest Christians
were all Jews and inherited the Jewish customs and beliefs. They were
basically still Jews but accepted Jesus as the promised Messiah and the Son of
God. They viewed Christ as the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old
Testament. This was what the early apostles sought to do in explaining
their conviction of Jesus as Lord and the savior of the world. (cf Acts 1:22-36; 4:8-12; 5:30-32) That was why they were still
worshipping at the Temple and breaking bread in their homes. They still
saw themselves as Jews worshipping the same God with the clarification that
Jesus was the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. It must be noted
that it was only in AD 70, almost 40 years after the death and resurrection of
Christ, that Christians were officially expelled from Judaism.
However, the Jewish
authorities viewed the early Christians as deviant members of Judaism and a
sect to be brought under control.
There was the wise advice of Gamaliel to the Sanhedrin to leave them alone as
had happened to Theudas who, “claiming to be somebody, and a number of men,
about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him
were dispersed and disappeared. After him Judas the Galilean rose up at
the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all
who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you, keep
away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this
undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you
will not be able to overthrow them – in that case you may even be found
fighting against God!” (Acts 5:36-39)
For the Gentile
Christian converts, however, they saw themselves as a new religion, even if
there was some continuity with Judaism. Whilst it was true that Christianity had its
history and origin from Judaism, yet, with the coming of Christ, there was also
a discontinuity. We read that it was at Antioch that the disciples of
Christ distinguished themselves from the Jews by calling themselves
“Christians.” (cf Acts 11:26) Before that, they were known
as those who belonged to the Way (cf Acts 9:2) that Saul sought to rein them
in. For this reason, they did not see why they should observe the Jewish
customs such as circumcision since they were not Jews.
At any rate, their
salvation was founded on Christ’s saving work in His passion, death and
resurrection. It was faith in
Him that was the cause of their salvation, not through observance of the laws
and the rituals. Hence, the gospel superseded the old laws. Indeed,
St Peter later in the Council shared his observations. “God made a choice
among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the
message of the good news and become believers. And God, who knows the human
heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us;
and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them
and us. Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the
neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able
to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of
the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” (Acts 15:7-11) If God had bestowed them
the Holy Spirit, it meant that it was not required of them to be Jews first
before they could receive salvation.
Indeed, salvation is
through grace alone and we are justified by faith in Christ. St Paul, writing to the Galatians
said, “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know
that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith
in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might
be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because
no one will be justified by the works of the law.” (Gal 2:15f) Indeed, St Paul said, “For
through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been
crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ
who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify
the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died
for nothing.” (Gal 2:19-21)
It was within this
context that sharp disagreement among them started. Some Jewish Christians “came
down from Judaea and taught the brothers, ‘Unless you have yourselves
circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved’. This led to
disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these
men.” To avoid division and a split in the infant Church, “it was arranged that
Paul and Barnabas and others of the church should go up to Jerusalem and
discuss the problem with the apostles and elders.”
This same situation is
also experienced in our times. History repeats itself. But our
problem is greater in magnitude compared to the early Church. Disagreement was easily contained
because the numbers of Christians were much fewer and there was no social media
to spread fake news or half-truths, no social media to garner support for
whichever position one held. Today, some Catholics are not happy with the
developments of the Church, whether in doctrinal or moral teachings, especially
with regard to marriage, divorce, sexual identity and family life; and the
promotion of the culture of death. There are also quite a number of
Catholics who cannot accept the changes in Vatican II, especially in the area
of the liturgy and the apparent diluting of the Church’s mission and Catholic
identity by no longer affirming that there is no salvation outside the Catholic
Church or outside of Christ.
The tensions in the
Church get even more pronounced these days as Pope Francis sought to incarnate
the gospel in the lives of the contemporary world, seeking to make the gospel more
relevant, realistic and compassionate to a very broken world. But he has
been accused of holding heretical views and abandoning orthodoxy. Indeed,
it is not easy to get all Catholics to be united in their doctrinal views and
practices as before because of social media, relativism and
individualism. This is made even more difficult as authority even in the
Church is no longer accepted with respect and submission.
So who is right and who
is wrong? We can appreciate the concerns of traditionalists and the
progressives in the Church. Each
comes from a different vantage point, world view and experience. Both
sides have their strengths and weaknesses. Those who belong to the
Tridentine tradition think that we must go back to the basics, which for them
means Tridentine or Pre Vatican II teachings and liturgy. Those who want change
are impatient for change. We need to accommodate both positions.
That was what the early Church did. We must appreciate the concerns of
different parties and try to address their needs and aspirations. We are
to accommodate each other’s position and preferences at least out of charity
and sensitivity.
This is what it means to
be pruned. Jesus
said: ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me
that bears no fruit he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he
prunes to make it bear even more.” We must continue to pray, reflect and
dialogue in the context of the Word of God. Jesus said, “You are pruned
already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you.” Searching the
scriptures together and studying them will help us to discern more clearly
where the Lord is directing the Church in growth.
Regardless, we must all
stay united in the Lord even if we have our disagreements. Jesus said, “Make your home in me,
as I make mine in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must
remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the
vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit
in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing.” So no matter how much
we disagree with one another, we must remain connected with Christ the One Vine
and this Christ is the Head of the mystical Body, the Church. To separate
ourselves from the Church, the Lord warns us “Anyone who does not remain in me
is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers; these branches
are collected and thrown on the fire, and they are burnt.” However, the
Lord assures us, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask
what you will and you shall get it. It is to the glory of my Father that you
should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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