The One

Wednesday of the Twenty seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Readings for Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Gal 2:1-2, 7-14

Responsorial Psalm Ps 117:1bc, 2
R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

Gospel Lk 11:1-4

Reflection:

Paul continues his rather “newsy” letter to the Galatians. This time he profiles the difficulty of reconciling Jewish dietary laws with the gentiles. It is interesting and important to note that it was the Hebrew law that was set aside and the gentiles were not forced to conform. The same held true for circumcision. It would have been inconsistent for Christianity to spread far if this bone of contention had not been settled the way it was. I cannot imagine the faith succeeding if it suppressed cultural norms in each region where it was introduced.

From perspective of unity, what St. Paul wrote was very important to the early Church. It said that people of all nations could participate in Christ’s salvation without needing to be circumcised and without having to eat only kosher food. Paul, always the unifier, even went after Peter and Barnabas about separating themselves from the gentile Christians because of the dietary differences calling them hypocrites (this must have really stung given that they were with Jesus when he used that same word repeatedly on the Pharisees).

As important as Paul’s unifying attempts are in Galatians, the Gospel from Luke unifies the Church even more as Jesus gives the disciples the Lords Prayer. In Luke we see differences from the same passage in the Gospel of St. Matthew (Matthew 6:9-15) where he delivers a longer form in his Sermon on the Mount. Still, this concise prayer unites us as family. It is one prayer that is shared by every Christian denomination throughout the world.

The first strophes emphasize that we all pray to the one God and Father and revere his name and his Kingdom. If we all pray it, there may only be one Kingdom of God.

The second strophes ask for sustenance from God both substantial (real bread) and spiritual (Eucharist). This article recognizes that it is only through God that we find all that is good.

Next we ask for forgiveness from our sins, again universally recognizing that there is only one who is without sin and that is Jesus himself. It is only through him that we can find forgiveness and it his command that we forgive others.

Finally we are to ask that we not be subjected to the trial – the trial he knows he must go through. How could he not have us ask for that? He is compassion itself and having been tempted in the desert following his baptism and tempted further in the garden and finally tempted on the Cross, how could he not have us ask for release from that temptation?

Today our theme once more is unity of faith. It is proposed by Paul and punctuated by Jesus when he gives the disciples the family prayer of the Church. How can we not pray for one faith today?

Pax