June 13,2009

Saturday June 13, 2009 of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: 2 Corinthians 5: 14-21 Psalm 103: 11-4, 9-12 Matthew 5: 33-37
Response: “The Lord has made known His salvation”

When we read Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, we can almost understand 2 Peter 3: 15- 16) when he regards some of Paul’s points as difficult.
This section of Paul’s writings almost reads as though he didn’t write them at all as the idioms and sentence construction are at variance to his 1st letter.
It was the custom of the time to have scribes actually write the messages the author wished to convey. If this is the case, Paul may have instructed one of his scribes to put into words some Christian theme or principle and left the actual words up to the scribe.
We sometimes marvel at the erudite speeches of our political leaders when in person, candidly, they cannot seem to put two words together to make sense.
Pointing out some ancient concept of the sins of the ancestors somehow falling on subsequent generations, Paul presents the fact of Jesus’ death having been in substitution for our sins and our death imitates His; Whereas, when His death and resurrection occurred, we were vicariously included in the process thereby receiving salvation through His suffering, death and resurrection.
We have the assurance of Jesus, Himself, in other writings, we are in Him as He is in us and collectively we all are in God.
When we recycle our lives, where we are and where have been, can we understand God’s love any better than, while we were sinners, He took those sins upon Himself and nailed them to the Cross!

The psalm almost was written as a postscript to Paul’s concept. The psalm retrojects the benefits of Christ’s Passion, forward and backwards. We and the first readers are the beneficiaries of the plan of God to include all penitents in the salvation offered. We only have to accept!

Tuesday’s first reading from 2 Corinthians proclaimed the same precept Jesus enjoins on His disciples and us. Don’t mince your words or deny oaths and vows we’ve taken.

Say Yes and No! All else is from the evil one who tries to muddy the waters. Our Church ids better able to proclaim morals and faith matters. Listen to Her!!