This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.
St. Paul’s point in the first reading may initially elude us. It sounds a bit prideful, perhaps. He talks about how, after his conversion on the road to Damascus (where he was famously cast down from his horse, heard the voice of Christ, and was rendered blind), he didn’t go and consult with the original apostles at first. In fact, only after three years did he go and visit Cephas, that is, St. Peter.
Union with the Magisterium of the Church, that is, the Pope and the bishops who teach in communion with him, is critical for the healthy spiritual life and sound doctrine of any believing Catholic. When reading St. Paul’s words today, we may be reminded of modern-day “dissenters” who distance themselves from the Magisterium in their beliefs and teachings.
But Paul in no way distanced himself from the doctrines that Peter and the others were teaching. Nor is he implying today that he was somehow superior to them or exempt from unity with them. Indeed, he says, as the original apostles heard about him, they glorified God, having heard that “the one who once was persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
So, what is Paul’s point? He himself seems to be glorifying God in this passage. For what? For disunity? To the contrary. He is glorifying God because, even though he didn’t have occasion to meet with the apostles for a time, he was initiated into his faith and sustained in it by his experience of Jesus–that is, by the work of the Holy Spirit in him.
Sometimes we can focus so heavily on union with the Magisterium that we neglect to learn directly from God in our prayer life. Perhaps we look for doctrinal answers for our own very specific personal situation in Church documents. While these documents can and should inspire us in our personal spiritual life, they are not there to provide an answer key to each particular situation. That is where the richness of our own contact with God in prayer comes in. This is the ambit of the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts.
Of course, we must actively form ourselves in familiarity with the teachings of the Church. In terms of what we need to know, they are not all that complicated. We have the Ten Commandments; the Creed; the Sacraments; and the liturgical year that we experience at Mass. We also have some special dogmas that have been solemnly declared by the Church throughout the centuries as having in fact been held as a common understanding by the faithful from the earliest days, such as the Assumption of Mary. Also, there are clarifications of how to apply the Ten Commandments and the Law of Charity to particular modern issues, such as issues touching on the sanctity of life, and social issues.
But applications of the Law of Charity to our own life, and the nuances of our own relationship with God within this general framework that the Church gives us, are exciting, ultra-personalized experiences that God has waiting for us in our own prayer life and life with Him in the sacraments. Even though many have dissented from the Church’s teaching over the centuries, if we have the overall, non-negotiable intention to be faithful to those teachings, there is no reason to fear excessively about the personal and special inspirations that the Holy Spirit has prepared for us within our own hearts. We can trust Him!
For indeed, this is the “better part” that God commends Mary of Bethany for choosing in today’s Gospel passage. Mary has chosen to experience Jesus Christ by sitting at His feet. For us too, there is no more enriching or fulfilling adventure that personally experiencing Him in our prayer and in the sacraments.
It can also be a great help to engage a trusted spiritual director for counsel–again, not as the source of all the answers, but as a beneficial sounding board.
Like the Psalmist today, we can ask God, “Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.” And He will answer that prayer.
Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to send His Spirit to lead you on the personalized adventure of spiritual growth that He has planned for you. Commit to Him that you want nothing other than to follow His will as a faithful son/daughter of the Church. Ask Him to help your heart to grow in love for the Church, with all its divine guidance and all its humanity, as you go deeper into your personal journey of spiritual growth with Him.
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