Our second reading this 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time is from Ephesians 4:30-5:2. We Catholics today are aware that our religion has lots of beliefs, or doctrines. But in the first century of Christianity, the new religion was a way of living and a way of praising God. People were attracted to the new religion because they saw how Christians lived, saw their “ethics” or behavior, their character. Developed doctrines and formulas for beliefs emerged later. In Ephesians we hear how those first Christians and we are challenged to live: All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting and reviling must be removed from you … And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another … and live in love, as Christ loved us… . For the apostle Paul and his disciples, one of whom probably wrote this Epistle, a “reversal” from living one way to living another, better, way was a sign of true conversion, a sign that the person truly possessed the gift of the Holy Spirit. Wow, wouldn’t it be great if our political discourse also modeled itself on this Scripture? At any rate, we know that character, consistent ethical behavior, does matter for followers of the Christ. Pope Francis has been known to quote a line attributed to his patron, St. Francis: preach the Gospel; if necessary, use words. How can each of us do that this week?
— Blog entry by Sister Mary Garascia; design by Jessica P., Markerpop
