07/11/2022

St Paul's letters are the main source for our knowledge of the first decades of the Church founded on St Peter by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All of the New Testament confirms the need for obedient holiness for each of us and that need will be supported by those who have witnessed the Resurrection. Even though the first preaching by eyewitnesses, was done in the expectation of the imminent return, the people who formed the Church soon had to have some sort of organisation. We have some details in the Acts of Peter and James in Jerusalem and Antioch and there are immediate hints of hierarchical authority in doctrine and structure.

Paul wants those in leadership to demonstrate their dedication to God's revelation of the purpose of our lives both by their knowledge and their behaviour. Many of us today still believe that that teaching in the Father's creation has the life of Christ as its model and the Holy Spirit as its loving support.

The Gospel at today's mass is a grave warning by Jesus to us all. His is the only path to the eternal life promised to us and secured by his Sacrifice of himself in bitter pain. I am amazed that the Apostolic Church can continue in pomp and privileged splendour when it reads the words of Christ. 

Can any one of our ordained ministers on reading aloud to their congregations, today's Letter to Titus not bow his head in shame. Where in our Church can we find sound doctrine or public refutation of evil? Where are the men "hospitable, and a friend to all that is good sensible moral and devout and self-controlled".

Millstones are still in plentiful supply and are not just reserved for those who harm children. In the Church there are millions of us little ones that are harmed by "arrogant and hot-tempered" clergy who ignoring God's teaching have succumbed to the World.

Dear Lord keep me from arrogance. You know how weak I am. Let my prayers for openness to your Love be for your Church too. There is a desperate need for hypocrisy to be exposed as you did in the Temple, please overturn the money managers who turn your Church into a den of thieves. Let us all in the care of our mother Mary be untouched by the failings of others and live in constant hope of being able for ourselves to avoid sin and pray for graces to be given to all in this world that we might be with God in the next.