15th Sunday after Pentecost – September 9, 2012
(Epistle Galatians 5: 25, 26 and 6: 1-10 Gospel Luke 7: 11-16)
Soon after St. Paul preached the Gospel to the Galatians false teachers came. These were Jews who converted to Christ and His Infant Church. They were the spiritual children of St. Peter, who first preached in Galatia [now Turkey], and because of this they taught that those Gentiles who converted had to maintain circumcision and the other ceremonies of the Law of Moses. In this Epistle, St. Paul corrects them and reminds them that four years before this, at the Council of Jerusalem, Gentile converts were exempted from observing the Mosaic Law and that Paul was given the authority to preach that fact to the Gentiles.
St. Paul also teaches them that “Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice,” (Genesis 15: 6) and reminds them that “they who are of faith, are the children of Abraham.” (Galatians 3: 7) He further tells them, “That the blessings of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus: that we may receive the promise of the spirit by faith.” (Galatians 3: 14) Paul then puts the Law of Moses in its proper historical perspective in Verse 19: “Why then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, till the seed should come, to whom he made the promise . . .” That seed was Jesus. He tells them that “you are all the children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus . . . And if you be Christ’s; then you are the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.” (v. 26, 29)
In Chapter 4 St. Paul reminds the Galatians that they are children of the free-woman “by the freedom wherewith Christ hath made us free.” (v. 31) In Chapter 5, which concerns the reading today, Paul exhorts them to stand firm in their Christian liberty, which was purchased for them at great price by Jesus Christ. He reminds them of the fruits of the flesh, which is corruption, and of the fruits of the spirit “which is charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, Mildness, faith, modesty, continency” and chastity. And he warns them against vainglory. (v. 22, 23, 26) In Chapter 6 Paul exhorts the Galatians to practice the virtues of Christ, to accept the burdens of life, even to help others with their burdens, their hard times.
St. Paul compares those who live by the flesh, with those who live by the spirit. Those who live by the flesh live only for this life with no thought of eternity. He compares them to farmers sowing or planting two fields. He warns the Galatians that if they sow in the flesh they will reap corruption, but if they sow in the spirit they will reap life everlasting. Lastly, Paul urges them that while they are alive they should do good to all, especially to those of the same faith. St. John quotes our Lord speaking of this: “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.” (John 13: 35) +
Yesterday, September 8th, we celebrated the birth of Mary. Mary’s birth revived hope in a world darkened by sin. Where Eve said no to the will of God, Mary said yes. No greater praise can be given to her than to say that she was the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. She is presented to us “as a beautiful mirror” in which God Himself “is reflected. She is called the perfect model of all virtues,” by St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars. That is why the Church “looks upon her as her Mother, her protectress, and her powerful helper against her enemies.”
It is not enough to say we honor Mary, and then do nothing about it. That is like faith without works -- dead. We must also practice her virtues: humility, purity, modesty and her patience, which she showed after Jesus ascended to Heaven, and she waited patiently for the day she would be reunited with her Son. +
We read in the Gospels that Jesus raised three people from the dead. The daughter of the ruler of the synagogue was dead but still within her home, not yet brought outside for all to see. The widow’s son in today’s Gospel was out of his house but not yet buried. His friend Lazarus was buried four days before Jesus arrived. There were probably more than three but these three represent three kinds of sinners.
As to the first kind of sinner, think of the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue and consider that there are those who have sin in their hearts but have not yet committed the deed. Jesus said, “Whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5: 28) This person’s soul is dead, but not yet carried forth. But if he should hear the Word of God through the teaching authority of the Church, if he should in this sense, hear Christ say to him, “Arise,” he will condemn his consent to sin and his soul will breathe again in grace and charity. This man rises again and this resurrection of a dead soul takes place within the privacy of his conscience, as within the walls of a house.
As to the second kind of sinner, consider one who, after giving inward consent to sin, proceeds to the act of sinning, so that what was hidden in the secrecy of his soul is brought forth for all to see, in a sense this is like the widow’s son who was brought forth from his home. But are these people beyond redemption? No, because just as Christ said to the young man in today’s Gospel, “I say to thee, arise,” so also those who have committed sin will be restored to life if they are warned and awakened by the Word of Truth, in other words, rising again at the Word of Christ.
As to the third kind of sinner, these are those who become so involved in their sin that it becomes an evil habit, a habit so deep it prevents the person from seeing that it is in fact a sin. These people are pressed down by their malignant habit as though they are buried. The power of a habit is like a heavy stone laid on top of a tomb, pressing down on the soul and not allowing it to breathe or rise again.
The Lord comes to this sinner as He came to his friend Lazarus. In restoring Lazarus to life, Jesus reveals the difficulty we will experience in trying to bring habitual sinners to Christ and His Church. He groans in His spirit, making clear to us that we need to cry out with a loud voice in rebuke, to raise those who have grown hard in their evil habits. In this way, just as Christ crying out “with a loud voice,” the bonds of hell that seemed inescapable are burst apart, and the soul that was dead can now live again in the truth and freedom of Christ. †††
We Celebrate the Tridentine Latin Mass Established in Perpetuity
by Pope St. Pius V in his Bull, Quo Primum Tempore.
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