In today’s first reading St. Paul reminds us that the Church is the pillar and bulwark of the truth. That’s not a popular message in today’s relativistic culture. The simple fact is, either truth exists outside of us and is true whether we believe it or not, or there is no truth. As Christians who believe in the incarnation of Jesus, we know that truth comes directly from God Himself. It is through the Church itself that that truth has been transmitted. Some want this truth to be without rules, without any discipline or need for change, but that’s not the Church Jesus founded. The Church He founded was One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.
Then in the Gospel, we see another common response to Jesus and the demand for change revealed to us through His Church. That is one of displeasure, a stark refusal to serve the Lord. The Gospel which offers freedom from sin and vice is seen as either too stark and demanding, or too lax and easy going. Most of us fall into this category at some point. We use the offer of a joyful life as an excuse not to take anything seriously, falling into vulgar humor and worldly pleasures. Then other times we get so into the rut of daily compliance that we end up being “sour pickles” as Pope Francis once described it.
The Gospel does indeed bring freedom. Freedom to choose what is right. Freedom to turn from evil and do good, all the while bringing joy in the knowledge of the good we are doing and the salvation that Jesus offers. How then do we determine right from wrong? Again, the scriptures themselves attest to the simple fact that: the Church is the pillar and bulwark of the truth. All of her “rules and disciplines” are there to help you find the truth, to see more clearly the life God has created us for. That is a sacramental life, a life so filled with the grace of God that one can’t help but be filled with joy. There is an amazing freedom in life when one finally gets there, ignoring the call of the world and the devil to see the Gospel as constricting or an offer of hedonism, and rather simply reveling in the beauty of God and His love for us.
A reflection on the readings for September 18, 2019: Wednesday of the 24th week of Ordinary Time