In order to fully understand Scripture, we need to bridge two worlds, connecting the original context with our own. That’s not too hard to do with our Mass readings this week.
Jeremiah lamented about the failure of God’s people to embrace God’s truth with vitality. And in a Gospel reading, Jesus said that there will always be tares mixed in with the wheat. Bringing this forward, we can see that in every age, there’s a need to revitalize and reform the Church.
The saints are heroes because they’ve worked so hard to cleanse and restore a Church that was embattled in their own day.
- On Tuesday, we remembered St. Ignatius Loyola, who left he dream of being a knight in order to fight for the Church.
- Yesterday, we remember St. Alphonsus Liguori, who served the marginalized in his world while reinforcing Catholic doctrine.
- Today, we celebrated Eusebius, who fought Arianism–a heresy that threatened the 4th Century Church.
These saints were lights in their several generations, but the world of these saints was also different than our own. So again, we need to bridge the two.
What specifically ails the Church today? How do the saints inspire us to advance the gospel in our unique place and time?
These are questions we’re called to continually ask. The challenges continue, but our context is always new. God isn’t calling us to invent something new, but to find timely means to inspire fidelity to what is ancient, eternal, and unchanging in an ever-changing world.