Good News Reflection
Monday of the 23rd Week of Ordinary Time
September 6, 2010

Today's Readings:
1 Cor. 5:1-8
Ps 5:5-7, 12
Luke 6:6-11
http://www.usccb.org/nab/090610.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_09_06.mp3

Protecting ourselves from poison

In today's first reading, St. Paul addresses the problem of unrepented immorality. A sinful behavior that we fail to overcome is like an infectious disease; it spreads. This is why Paul is shockingly harsh when he pronounces judgment on the church member who is sinning. He calls for ex-communication! But isn't this contrary to Christ's warning that it's sinful to be judgmental?

Paul was concerned about how the sinner's behavior was infecting others. The community, instead of grieving over the man's sins, assumed the attitude of "I'm safe, because I'm not copying this man's sin." How many times do we put up with the sins of others because we believe that it's not going to infect us? Their sins are between them and God, we say. It's not for us to judge them or speak up and tell them how to live.

Poison kills best in tiny doses. Initially, the victim doesn't notice that anything's wrong. When repeated doses cause stomach cramps, the victim merely thinks he has the flu. By the time he realizes that his life is in danger, it's too late. If we're not grieving the immorality we see and we're not offering God's antidote, we're contributing to the spread of evil. A small problem in a parish, for example, that seemingly affects only a few, is really an arsenic poisoning all the members of the Body of Christ. Only God knows how many have left the Church or chose not to get involved in a parish ministry or turned away from a religious vocation because of one person's bad example.

In today's Gospel reading, the Pharisees have an opportunity to be inoculated with the antidote of goodness and compassion, but they reject it. They've been poisoned for so long that they can't recognize love when it stares them in the face. Do you know anyone like this? We need to care so much about these people that we're mourning their sinfulness while at the same time maintaining holy, healthy boundaries to protect ourselves and our families and our parishes from infection.

As it says in the responsorial Psalm, no one who does evil remains with God. Holiness is a boundary that someone who is sinning fights against but cannot cross over. Maintaining boundaries can be difficult, especially when we're emotionally involved with or have to work with those who are unrepentant.

However, notice the strong antidote that St. Paul prescribes for the adulterous Corinthian: "Deliver him to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved." It's a final, desperate attempt, an unhappy solution. It might sound evil, but hasn't that person already given himself to the devil?

Such people need to reap what they've sown so that they can learn from the consequences of their decisions. We're not supposed to save them from it – Jesus is the Savior, not us. We're called to use every means to reveal the truth and invite them to become holy, but when that fails to produce repentance, the best way to love them is to let them follow their demons into deeper misery where, we pray, they will finally cry out to God.

Note: Because I have witnessed and heard from many who are suffering from infected parishes and communities, Parish Renewal Services was developed to provide help and healing. Please see http://parishhope.com