Catherine, Gentiles, and Christ

The 14^th century mystic Saint Catherine of Siena lived but a scant 33 years. We celebrate her feast on April 29. Catherine is significant in the annals of saints because she is one of only four women who hold the title doctor of the Church. A young woman who longed deeply to live in seclusion in prayer, she spent much of her life working for the poor. But her final years were spent working to restore a very corrupt Church. From 1309 until 1378 popes chose to take up residence in Avignon, a provincial town in France, rather than live in Rome. The reasons were more political than spiritual and reflected the power of the French Church over the Italian Church at the time. Catherine succeeded in getting Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome in the year 1378.

In her only written work, known as the Dialogue, she describes, among other things, her great agony at the corruption in the Church of the time. But she is consoled by what she hears as the words of God, “Daughter, your refuge is to do honor to my name and to offer ceaseless prayers .. Your refuge is in my only Son, Christ Crucified … In his pierced heart you will find love for me and your neighbor  … Fill yourself at the table of the cross, and bear with your neighbor with true patience.”

There is more to this quotation but Catherine’s focus on Christ Crucified is exemplified in the Scripture readings during the Easter season. The readings follow the slow growth and development of the first believers and followers of Jesus Christ for whom such belief is life changing. On Easter Sunday we listened to the story of the risen Jesus. Jesus is the man who rises from the dead. Not in any other period of history has such a thing ever happened. We take this story of our faith for granted. Jesus suffered and died for us and rose from the dead. In doing so he signified that our lives would and could be different. Indeed, our lives are different because of this.

The Acts of the Apostles have to deal in an authoritative way with the first big problem the believers faced as a group. What are they to do about the non-Jews who are now following them? The Apostles and other first disciples understood that what Jesus did was for the benefit of members of the Jewish faith. Jews traditionally saw their religious practices as totally different from all other people. The work that Jesus did was to bring salvation to the Jews, to bring them a new life, a new degree of dignity that they had not previously found.

So some of the disciples were amazed that non-Jews might even be interested in what Jesus said and did. But since this was so, well, the non-Jews must then adapt to some Jewish customs. Primarily, this meant circumcision for males. This was the distinguishing mark of identity for Jewish males.

Peter and Paul disagreed on this point. Paul argued that the only thing required for non-Jews to follow Jesus was to simply profess their faith in him. Circumcision was the demand of the old law. The new law demands only faith in Jesus Christ. And this is what is in the letter which the disciples take to the Gentiles in Antioch. It is our decision, it reads, not to put any burden beyond the necessities on you. These necessities concern fasting and marriage. Circumcision is not one of them.

Throughout Christian history, the argument has continued. What is required to be a Christian? Though it may seem obvious, the answer is our focus on Christ Crucified. This is our first and primary focus that supersedes all others. In John’s Gospel, Jesus tells his first followers: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” In order to know God the Father and to enter into our final goal of heaven, it is necessary to get to know and to follow the person of Jesus Christ. We cannot call ourselves Christians without doing so. Just as the Gentiles were strengthened by the decision of the Apostles, so we can be strengthened by our focus on Christ Crucified. This Jesus is found in the Eucharist we share. He offers his life for us and he offers himself to us as spiritual food, real food, to give us strength and nourishment in order to live our lives as sons and daughters of God.