Pastor’s Letter: May 5, 2024

Pastor’s Letter: May 5, 2024

3 May 2024 | Posted by: chadmin

Dear friends,

This Sunday’s first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, gets at one of the fundamental truths about Christian Revelation. St. Peter was approached by Cornelius who proceeds to bow before St. Peter because of the great works done through Peter’s hands. Peter rejects this reverence ordered toward him, as he identifies himself as a human being like any other.  Peter then follows with one of his great thoughts in Scripture that flows from one of his own greatest learning experiences. “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.”

The tension in the Acts of the Apostles and in 1^st century Jerusalem revolves around Jesus as Messiah. If Jesus is who He says He is, then revelation developed certain understandings about God, people, and nations over the years. Throughout the Old Testament, the Jewish people are described as the Chosen People. This relates to the fact that God chose to reveal the truth about Himself to priests and prophets. This chosen status extended itself, to not just a people who understand truth about God that ought to be shared, but also a people who God favors above all others. This favoritism began to be seen as a favorite nation, a blessed military, and a preferred race. These themes of favoritism were certainly known to St. Peter and the rest of the 1^st century Jewish people. This quote of St. Peter is all the more amazing that he came to believe that “God shows no partiality.”

It is primarily this truth that allows all of us to see ourselves, and others, as beloved daughters and sons of God. God plays no favorites. God has no favorites. God prefers no nation to another nation. There is a fundamental equality to humanity that Christian Revelation calls us all to completely understand and implement. The majority of problems in the human condition can be traced to one of the seven deadly sins (pride, greed, anger, lust, gluttony, laziness, envy) or to one of the “isms” in which we play favorites. If God plays no favorites, then neither can we.

St. Peter does go on to articulate that those who act uprightly are acceptable to God. This, then, is the fundamental truth of Christianity. Divine judgment is based on the moral life and the moral life revolves around what we freely choose to think, say, and do. Divine acceptance is not based on nationality, skin color, or being male or female; but, upon the moral life. As Christians, when someone offends, we turn the other cheek. When we are sinned against, we forgive just as we want God to forgive us. Of course our belief moves us toward a properly ordered life that is most fulfilled when religious practice is a daily reminder of making our lives acceptable to God. God truly shows no partiality, but He does expect us to respond to His love, to remain in His love, and to let His love daily transform our hearts.

God bless,

Father David