Second Sunday after Pentecost. The Holy Apostle Jude, Brother of the Lord According to the Flesh
Romans 2:10-16; Jude 1:1-10; Matthew 4:18-23; John 14:21-24
Apostles’ Fast
Read Romans 2:10-16
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
A pressing pastoral-theological issue in the early Church was how Gentiles were to live out their faith in Christ with Jewish Christians. Revelation through Apostles Peter and Paul made clear that Gentiles did not have to become Jews first and then practice their faith as Jewish Christians. That meant that table fellowship would require Jewish Christians to accept Gentile Christians and the presence of their foods. Even St. Peter later wavered on this and had to be corrected by St. Paul.
The question of how a new people centred on Christ rather than the prior revelation of the Law to Israel were to understand themselves as one people needed fuller elucidation. St. Paul’s letter to the church in Rome remains instructive for Christians today living in a multicultural society, both within and outside the Church.
Today’s reading makes one thing crystal clear – all humanity now stands in ultimate relationship to Jesus Christ. Some need help with their difficulty believing that; others need help with their personal resistance. Even those who sincerely believe become aware of where in our lives we are still being called to open our hearts and deeds to Christ.
The encouraging word is this: all humanity is on the same continuum – God shows no partiality to Jew or Gentile in either one’s doing of evil or one’s doing of good. Whether we are looking inward, within ourselves or the Church, or outward, to the world at large or any of the many different people within it, “God (will) judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”
Take care with your own heart and deeds, that they be centred on Christ. And take loving care with others, helping them to see that their reference point is not you or even themselves but Jesus Christ.