Om episode
Christians are Called to Be Better … In St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (not included within this audio), we hear about the early Christian Community. St. Paul tells us they play favorites among the ministers. The community are quick to take legal actions against one another on events that do not necessarily require those actions. It is as though St. Paul is holding up a mirror. Those struggles the Church has wrestled with over the centuries. St. Paul includes in his letter . . . I write this to shame you. He tells the community you are better than this. You are called to be better than this. One of the essences of Christian life is that . . . Christian life is supposed to be better than what we see in the world around us. We are all called to be better. Hear more within the Homily. St. Paul asks what are you doing . . . to the early community. Rather than working things out between believers, there is the tendency to take disputes to the judges of the world. One might say that today’s age there is little difference. St. Paul is not dismissing government or the courts. But he warns us to be careful on what actions we take against each other. Again, he reminds us to be better. The unjust ways of the world are not the ways of Jesus Christ. Heaven doesn’t open to those who are quick to be unjust against another. Heaven will open to those who suffer. But will not open to those who practice being unjust. Listen to the Homily to hear multiple lessons that St. Paul and the Lord leaves us. Hear more about our call to be better. The Commissioning of the Apostles . . . The Birth of The Church In today’s Gospel, we hear, like Moses, Jesus goes up into the mountain. When He returns, He has something. He does not have a stone tablet. He has the names of the twelve apostles. Of all the disciples that were following Him, He asks twelve to come forward. Up until this point, these twelve were not Apostles. Yet, now they are, because He calls them. In doing so, he announces the Church. Apostles . . . meaning those who are sent. He is sending them with His authority. This is a powerful Gospel, because in reading it one witnesses the birth of the Church. It is good that the reading and the Gospel are together. We are called in Christian life to be better. The Apostles, as are we, are called to spread the Gospel to the world. Hear more in this Meditation Media.