Faith

Fighting for unity? Friday, 22nd Week in ordinary time, 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

For Paul, the unity of the Corinthian church was paramount. He does not cease to labour the message that he so ardently desires to communicate; that a fractured Church with divided loyalties and leaders will eventually bring ruin to the Church of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:12 tells us that there were cliques that divided themselves under four groups. Some rallied around Paul’s leadership while others stood behind the banner of Apollos or Cephas and even Christ. But what seems to emerge rather clearly was that there were two groups that really mattered; the group that hailed Paul as its leader and the group that rallied around Apollos. Paul called the Corinthians to oneness “in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10), reminding them it was Christ who was crucified for them, not their spiritual leaders.

Yet once must admit that Apollos, whose name is mentioned six times in chapter 1-4, almost stands out as a ‘suspect’ and cause for the two major rival groups? Was Paul indirectly accusing his brother and calling him out for the disunity in the Church?

We know from Acts 18:24-28 that Apollos was a masterful preacher. He had made a great impression on the Corinthians especially those of a certain high social status. Paul on the other hand himself confesses (2:1-4) that he did not come to the Corinthians with “lofty words or wisdom” but in “weakness, fear and much trembling.” In the text of today, Paul speaks of being ‘judged’ by some in the Corinthian community (4:3). Was Paul therefore concerned about his own authority in a Church that he set up? (I Paul planted; Apollos watered 3:6)

Scripture scholars have never come to a conclusion if Paul and Apollos were ‘rivals’ in the ministry in Corinth. What seems very plausible is that Paul and Apollos shared a close collaboration in the mission work; it is the Corinthians who have pitched one against the other.

But whatever be the reality, the perception was creating a public relations nightmare and Paul saw the need to fix what seemed to be the cause of descension. He does not pin the blame on any one but applies the text of today to both himself and Apollos, for he says in verse 6 (not part of our scripture text of today) “I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, brothers and sisters.” Paul’s letter is an appeal for unity in the Church in Corinth, a unity that must transcend the personality of any particular leader.

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Faith

Do I need a masters to minister? Thursday,22nd week in ordinary time – 1 Corinthians 3:18-23

Repetition can be annoying but reiteration means that something important is being stressed even though it may be the same thought or principle being enunciated. Paul reiterates the importance of the person of Christ over those who were fascinated by the personalities who worked for Christ.

Chapter 2 and 3 of 1 Corinthians slavishly takes up two concerns that were plaguing the Corinthian community. The first of these concerns dealt with the Corinthians who were enamoured by the wisdom of the Greeks and their ability to present the ‘mysteries of their faith’ in clever and learned ways. Even though Corinth was a Roman colony inhabited by people of several nationalities, it still celebrated the Greek culture and Greek religious practices. The Greeks subscribed to cults, known as ‘mystery religions.’ The reason why these cults were called ‘mystery religions’ is because these cults incorporated secret ceremonies known only to those initiated into the cult and through which salvation was obtained.

The Christian doctrine of a crucified messiah seemed a pale shadow compared to the layers of mysteries by which these Greek cults dazzled their followers. Christianity’s ‘mystery of faith’ was simple and un-complex; Christ had died, he had risen and he will come again’. But this same message was blasphemous to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. There was a desire among some in the Corinthian community, to inject what seemed to the Greeks as a rather ‘drab ‘Christian faith, with the razzle and dazzle that these Greek cults had. Why, it seemed, could the Christian faith not be infused with the ‘smoke and mirror’ that made the Greek cults appear so wise and popular?

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“I am for Pope Francis” – Wednesday 22nd week in ordinary time -1Corinthians 3:1-9

Reiterating the theme that he began in 1 Corinthians 1:12, Paul dives right to the heart of the matter that was plaguing the fabric of unity among the Church in Corinth. Here were a bunch of big babies who refused to grow up and the only way to deal with the situation was ‘time out’.

Yet Paul can be a gentle matador when dealing with an enraged bull. We know that he addresses the community, many who were detractors and opponents to his teaching as “brothers and sisters.” Many of them perhaps did not feel the same towards Paul for they clearly did not see him as ‘their’ or even worse, as a leader. There were those in the Corinthian community who routed for their favourite preacher; some for Paul others for Apollos. Clearly while Paul had sowed the seeds of the faith, Apollos a learned Alexandrian who took over the community after Paul, had made an impression enough for some to ‘switch’ to the favourite (online) preacher.

So, while Paul calls them his brothers and sisters, he still has to hold a mirror of truth to the Corinthians and what they would see was perhaps not what they expected. Paul tells the Corinthians that they are spiritually no more than big babies. By their actions it is clear that they have not grown and hence have to be given a dressing down like one would do with an errant child. (He calls them infants in Christ).

When Paul had to depart from the Corinthian community to travel back to Ephesus, he recognized that even after ministering to the Corinthians for eighteen months, they were yet on spiritual food that could only be given to infants; they were not ready for solids. Ironically, even after years had passed Paul is saddened to find that they have not grown spiritually and the proof of it is seen in their behaviour. Jealousy and quarrelling over petty human issues had dominated their spiritual life rather than immersing themselves in more spiritual thought.

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Faith

Memorial of St Euphrasia Eluvathingal

The daughter of Anthony and Kunjethy, Rose Eluvathingal was born on 17 October 1877 in the village of Kattoor, in the Diocese of Trichur, India. Her mother’s deep piety and great devotion to the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, had a strong influence on little Rose from her childhood.

From the stories that her mother told her, especially about St Rose of Lima, she grew with a strong desire to practice the virtues, to suffer for Jesus and to be holy, and to do all this in a quiet, hidden manner.

During her developing years Rose began to detach herself from earthly possessions and pleasure and took a great interest in spiritual matters. This was all the more rooted in her at the age of 9 by means of an apparition of the Blessed Mother, after which the young girl offered herself totally to the Lord.

Notwithstanding the strong opposition of her father, who wanted Rose to marry into a rich family, she wanted to become a religious Sister. Her intense prayer life, which included the rosary, fasting and abstinence, as well as the rather sudden death of her younger sister, brought about a change of heart in her father, Anthony, who granted Rose permission to enter the convent. In fact, her father accompanied her personally to the convent of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel , the first indigenous congregation of Syro-Malabar Church.

But even with her desire to be a Religious, Rose was often afflicted with various illnesses which caused her intense suffering. Once, during a particularly painful attack, the sisters were resolved to send her away forever, but through an apparition of the Holy Family she received a miraculous healing that permitted her to continue following God’s call.

On 10 May 1897 Rose became a postulant and took the name Sr Euphrasia of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and on 10 January 1898 she received the holy habit of Carmel. She practised the virtues of humility, charity and renunciation and grew in holiness with the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For the periods of grave illness and the trials of the powers of darkness that she endured, she was rewarded by intense spiritual joys.

On 24 May 1900 St Mary’s Convent was founded in the current Archdiocese of Trichur, and on the same day Sr Euphrasia made her perpetual vows to God, a day of unspeakable joy, since now she belonged for ever to her Heavenly Spouse. From 1904 to 1913 Sr Euphrasia was entrusted with the duty of novice mistress and, sustained by the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, she formed the future members of her Congregation. In their Mother Mistress the novices saw the heroic virtues of humility, poverty, penance, obedience and abandonment to God’s will.

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God works despite you, not because of you – Saturday, 21st week in ordinary time – 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31

It was clear that there were some in the Corinthian community that formed cliques and alliances. These alliances were built on common thought patterns in favour of persons or ideologies. There were some who peddled the idea that the Christian message was a ‘form of wisdom’ comparable to some popular Greek philosophy or that Christian leaders were wisdom teachers themselves. Paul would have none of that in the Corinthian community nor would he entertain those who would have liked to see the Gospel repackaged to match the expectations of people. The message was clear, we preach Christ crucified even if it may sound unwise, foolish or even blasphemous. (Summary of verses 1-25)

To further this argument that the preaching of ‘Christ crucified’ was all that was needed to further the Gospel and not some eloquent wisdom, Paul asks the Corinthians to consider their own calling. When God called them (as he calls us) he did not choose them for their learning or the degrees they may have acquired. The Corinthian Christians were not called because they belonged to a social class (noble birth) or because of their circles of influence ( powerful) but they were ‘chosen by god’; period! They have not been chosen because they are so great, but because God is so great.

Their calling flew in the face of human logic. Candidates are selected based on human standards; on circles of influence or intelligence or association to powerful lobbies. God’s candidates could only be classified as ‘foolish choices’, ‘weak’ and ‘despised’. Yet it will be the foolish, the weak and the despised that will shame the wise, shame the strong, shame the powerful.

St Paul reiterates not once but thrice (verses 27 and 28) that it is ‘God who chooses’ and God does not make mistakes though the world may perceive it to be so. God does not do things without a reason. God chose not to glorify the creature but so that the creator may be glorified. The human laurels that the Corinthians may win are not theirs to keep but theirs to hold on to in God’s name for to God be the glory. Paul is clear, our human merits can never be our boast because our very choice for the job was a laughing matter for the world; yet we prevailed, not because of who we are but because of who God is.

Paul takes away the boast of every Corinthian and by extension, that of every Christian. If we have achieved what we have, it is because God chose us to shine a light on his glory. He is the source of our life in Christ Jesus. The very Lord, who becomes for us the ‘wisdom of God’, our ‘righteousness’, our ‘sanctification’ and our ‘redemption’.

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