Cooperative Justice
Sep. 9: Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Today's readings feature stories about how we should behave as a community. Because no one is an island, especially not a Christian. We need God, and we need each other.
Reading 1
1 Cor 6:1-11
Brothers and sisters: How can any one of you with a case against another dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment instead of to the holy ones? Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world? If the world is to be judged by you, are you unqualified for the lowest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? Then why not everyday matters? If, therefore, you have courts for everyday matters, do you seat as judges people of no standing in the Church? I say this to shame you. Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough to be able to settle a case between brothers? But rather brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers?
Now indeed then it is, in any case, a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another. Why not rather put up with injustice? Why not rather let yourselves be cheated? Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers. Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the Kingdom of God. That is what some of you used to be; but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Christians in Corinth were suing each other in Roman court. Paul doesn't say way, because evidently, he doesn't care. The point is that we should settle disputes with loved ones among loved ones.
It's hard to picture today, because Christianity is so ubiquitous, but the church in Corinth wasn't very big. They ought to have been able to resolve issues within the community.
But Paul is making a larger, eschatological1 point—Christ will judge the world, and we are part of the Body of Christ here on earth. This is a much larger responsibility than suing someone over payment for making a tent or whatever.
Paul wants us to be worthy of the challenge. To be worthy of the Kingdom, we're going to have to suffer. We shouldn't fight over every last minor infraction when it causes a rift in the larger community. Instead, we should ask not disinterested parties, but a loving third party who's simply not part of the dispute help us find a just solution.
This is obviously a bit more difficult in modern times, but again, nobody said this would be easy.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
R. (see 4) The Lord takes delight in his people.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
This Psalm, sung with the timbrel and harp, recalls the celebration after the Exodus. To remain faithful, they must continue to praise God for everything He's done.
Alleluia
See Jn 15:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
That you may go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Israelites were God's first chosen people but Jesus expanded that to include all Christians.
Gospel
Lk 6:12-19
Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.
The translation here says Jesus "named" the twelve Apostles, but the original Hebrew word is "made" as in "created." He didn't just call them "apostles;" he marked their souls in a way that permanently changed them. This is where we say Jesus created the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
After ordaining the first Bishops, they went down the mountain again, where Jesus showed them their responsibilities by example. Their job wasn't to be ruler of the Church, but servants.
Relating to end times.