Homily: Twenty-first Thursday of Ordinary Time
Twenty-first Thursday of Ordinary Time (1 Corinthians 1:1-9) “We Are One in Christ”
St. Paul writes his letter to the Corinthians knowing that he is going to address some difficult situations. There are competing factions in the church in Corinth. Whenever we have an argument in an organization it is good to try and appeal to the ideals that first knit the organization together.
This is what St. Paul does here. He mentions Jesus’ name no less than ten times in the first 10 verses of the Letter to the Corinthians. The members of the church are to pattern their life after the person of Christ. If here is a lack of patience and bickering in the church, then its members are not imitating Jesus.
The second thing that Paul reminds the Corinthians of is that they have been sanctified in Christ Jesus. The people have been consecrated. The members of the church have been set apart. The people of the church are the holy people of God. The members of the church are not like people who belong to other organizations.
We have various denominational labels we place on churches today. We have the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church. The list of different churches is endless. But St. Paul tells the Corinthians that they are the church of God. The implication is that there can be no divisions in the church. Either you are in the church, or you are out of it.
St. Paul wanted to establish the fact that the people he was writing to were committed to the Church of God and would not leave the church the first time they disagreed with some decision that the church made. Our Baptism binds us to the church. We do not leave when things get hard, but we are committed to finding a negotiated settlement. How our church life would have been changed during the centuries if all Christians would have shared this Theology, the belief that there is only one Christian Church.
1. Have I ever left a church community in protest? Why did this happen?
2. Have I stayed with my parish even when I have been upset? What held me in my church home?
Dear Parishioners,
The priests had a Vicariate meeting today and we were introduced to the new priests who will administer to the Rock Island parishes. Fr. Peter is the new pastor of St. Pius X in Rock Island and Fr. Witold is the new pastor of Sacred Heart Rock Island and St. Mary Rock Island. The two priests are Franciscan priests, and they are both from Poland.
People might ask what the difference between a religious order priest and a diocesan priest is. The easiest way to explain would be to say that a religious order priest’s superior is his provincial. The diocesan priest is assigned by the Diocesan Bishop. I am a diocesan priest; therefore, Bishop Lou is my supervisor.
Fr. Peter and Fr. Witold wear a grey habit. You may meet them at the hospital or at religious service in Rock Island. I am sure we will all enjoy getting to know them. Please make them feel welcome when you see them.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for our troubled world.
Fr. Mark