Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time_AA - That All May Be One_11/5/23

Photo Credit: Lutheran Archbishops Munib A. Younan (L) and Martin Junge (R)

October 31, 2016 at an ecumenical service in Lund cathedral, Sweden. . TT News Agency/Jonas Ekstromer)

Deacon Tom Writes, 

That We All May Be One  

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

On October 31st 1517 some 500 plus years ago, a German Augustinian monk posted his “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” on the door of the All-Saints’ church in Wittenberg, Germany. This document came to be known as Ninety-five Theses. His action followed the arrival of Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar and the papal commissioner for indulgences, who was sent to Germany to raise money to raise money for rebuilding St Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The monk, of course, is Martin Luther. The document that he posted began as follows:

Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it, the following heads will be the subject of a public discussion at Wittenberg under the presidency of the reverend father, Martin Luther, Augustinian, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and duly appointed Lecturer on these subjects in that place. He requests that whoever cannot be present personally to debate the matter orally will do so in absence in writing.

What followed were 95 theses criticizing the Catholic Church for corruption in Rome, including the buying of ecclesiastical privileges, nepotism, usury, and the selling of indulgences that would mitigate the temporal punishment that was the residual effect of sins that had been committed.

To understand the nature of the problem that troubled Luther we need to look at our Catholic teaching on indulgences. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that an indulgence is, “obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishment due for their sins." The Church does this not just to aid Christians, "but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity" (CCC 1478). So, while the Sacrament of Reconciliation enables one to be “absolved”, i.e., have one’s sins forgiven, there remains a “temporal punish” attributable to those very sins we have committed. This, of course, serves as the basis or our Catholic understanding of Purgatory as a place where that “punishment” is satisfied prior to our going to our final destination.... to join the angels and saints in the kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world.

Going back to October 31, 1517 at the time Luther posted his 95 Theses, the abuse of indulgences was at its height. Yet, the selling of indulgences was never the official practice of the church. Cardinal Cajetan Tommaso de Vio wrote:

"Preachers act in the name of the Church so long as they teach the doctrines of Christ and the Church; but if they teach, guided by their own minds and arbitrariness of will, things of which they are ignorant, they cannot pass as representatives of the Church; it need not be wondered at that they go astray."

Luther Scholars believe that Martin had no intention of confronting the Catholic Church or challenging the authority of Pope Leo X. Martin Luther’s historic action was an intent to rectify a corrupt practice that had found its way into the Church. Unfortunately, history has shown all too clearly how willing we are to remain agents of sin and division by our failure to recognize the consequences of our sinfulness and our refusal to amend our ways through a spirit of repentance and reconciliation.

As we continue on our journey of faith may we pray as Jesus did:
“...so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” John 17:21

Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacs engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or leaving it.

OTHER RESOURCE

 

Recommended Reading: Living Justice by Fr. Thomas Massaro. Rooted in the life and ministry of Jesus and the message of the New Testament, the Church proclaims: "Justice is constitutive of the Gospel." Building upon the broad tradition of Catholic social teaching. Living Justice offers a fresh discussion of contemporary issues (disarmament, human rights, the option for the poor). Through Scripture, Tradition, world events, and living examples of heroism and holiness ranging from the simple to the extraordinary, Living Justice develops your understanding of Catholic social teaching and inspires you for service

 

Recommended YouTube Video:  Living a Christian Life in an Age of Distraction, a lecture by Jesuit Thomas Massaro critiques our attempt to live out our Christian vocation in the midst of all the distractions, commitments and business of our everyday lives.