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Today is the feast of St Hilary of Poitiers, an early bishop and doctor of the Church. A fourth century pastor, Hilary defended the faith of his people against the Arian heresy. According to the Arians Jesus Christ was not truly divine: He was only a great prophetic figure on whom the one God bestowed His blessings. Arian doctrine was condemned at the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), and Jesus' true divinity was clearly affirmed. How does this historical background relate to our readings today? The challenge for the Church has always been to proclaim a Jesus who is both truly human and truly divine. In the Gospel He calls Levi (Matthew) from His tax collector's booth; and Matthew hears God's call in Jesus' voice. He leaves everything to follow the divine voice. In the next verses, however, we see Jesus eating and drinking with sinners in Matthew's house. How could Matthew understand the mysterious unity of the human and the divine in this Messianic figure? No doubt Matthew saw Him, at first, as the other disciples did, as a great Jewish prophet and gradually as the longed for Messiah who would liberate Israel. The question today, as for Matthew and Hilary is the same: Who is Jesus Christ for me? Because we stand on their shoulders, we can answer more clearly. Lord, You are my Lord and God. You are my Saviour. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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That Christians may favour the evangelisation of the new generations through the constant search for the unity wanted by Christ.
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The question of full Christian unity and evangelisation led to the beginnings of the ecumenical movement. The Holy Father decries the negative consequences of division among Christians and calls them to search for full Christian Unity as inspired by the Lord's Prayer. As evangelisers we must offer Christ's faithful an image of people who are mature in faith and capable of finding a meeting point beyond all tensions. The destiny of evangelisation is bound up with the witness of unity given to the Church. The urgency of preaching and displaying unity to the world arises from the fact that Christians can impair the vitality of proclaiming the Gospel and even become a scandal to the world, particularly when the churches appear to proclaim "a kingdom against itself". It is clear that the proclamation of the Gospel by divided Christians becomes counter- itness. As Christians we ought to give collaborative common witness which is founded in the common baptism in Christ and faith in the Triune God. Pray for the courage to work positively with other Christians for the purpose of promoting evangelisation. | |
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