Exclusion Delusion

Greetings on this the Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Readings: Acts 11:1-18; Ps 42:2-3; 43:3, 4; Jn 10:1-10

Notes

USCCB Commentary on the continuation of the Good Shepherd dialog as follows. The good shepherd discourse continues the theme of attack on the Pharisees that ends Jn 9. The figure is allegorical: the hired hands are the Pharisees who excommunicated the cured blind man. It serves as a commentary on Jn 9. For the shepherd motif, used of Yahweh in the Old Testament, cf. Ex 34; Gn 48:15; 49:24; Mi 7:14; Ps 23:1–4; 80:1. Link: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jn/10?1#51010001

Summary

The exclusion delusion from time to time infects the Church. Even in this early period as we see in the first reading of the Book of Acts of the Apostles there was a distinct disagreement about whether the gentiles are included in the faithful by reason of their lack of circumcision. It took the intercession by the Holy Spirit, through the Seat of Peter (as it were), to set things straight.

But a second time a voice from heaven answered, ‘What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.’ This happened three times.

Then again, the appearance of three men who seek the face of God.

As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as it had upon us at the beginning, and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?” When they heard this, they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying, “God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too.

Reflection

So many things to relay here.

Circumcision, dietary law, order of the application of the Sacraments. Each of these challenged the early Church and had to be resolved. Circumcision was the sign of Jewishness which does not preclude Gentiles. Later in time faith does not require this sign of circumcision as all. Dietary law was the proxy argument for the clean and unclean dialog (using food to proximate humans) but also directly setting this dietary law aside. And finally, the Sacraments are gifts from the Lord. He alone may dispense as he wishes (Baptism usually precedes Confirmation in the Holy Spirit but not always – a reminder the Sacraments are the Lord’s – we set the normative, the Lord gives the grace).

Related Link: https://deacongerrypalermo.blog/2020/10/31/blessedness/

Related Links: https://deacongerrypalermo.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/papa-francesco-cotidie_20151105_never-exclude.pdf
Related links: https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2021/10/being-different-must-never-lead-to-exclusion-discrimination-pope-says

Jesus does the same as the Father did, “when he sent him to save us: he seeks us out to include us, to enter a community, to be a family”. And “Paul’s joy is the great salvation that he received from the Lord”. Thus, the Pope said, returning to the two Gospel parables, the joy of the shepherd and that of the woman lie precisely in “finding what they believed” had been “lost forever”.

Personal Reflection

IMHO the Church has lost some flexibility in how the Sacraments are encountered and administered. The flexibility is there already and the first reading gives good account of it. Even since it still is there. But we have fallen into the trap of conformity.

Jesus is the Gate. Jesus is the gate, not us. Those who wish to be another gate are really those who scale the wall and enter the sheepfold as a thief [who] comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy.

Open wide the gate. Let the Holy Spirit do His job.

First Reading

The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem the circumcised believers confronted him. [Relaying his vision] A voice from heaven answered, ‘What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.’ This happened three times.

Responsorial

Athirst is my soul for the living God.

Gospel Acclamation

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.

Gospel

So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry