Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Even though at the end of yesterday’s reading, St. Paul affirmed that the Corinthians and he could say, “We have the mind of Christ,” in today’s reading, he expresses a much more negative opinion about his fellow Christians in Corinth.
He says that they are “fleshly” and are only “babies” in the faith, who must be fed milk instead of solid food. What does he mean by “fleshly?” Well, the Greek word sarx/flesh is the opposite of “spirit.” It denotes human beings as weak, immature, and capable of being subject to forces hostile to God. Being fleshly means being prone to sin, pride, jealousy, and rivalry with others.
The Corinthians display their divisions when some claim to belong to Paul while others claim to belong to Apollos. Paul will have none of this. Both he and Apollos are simply ministers (the Greek word is the same as “deacons”). The image used to describe this comes from farming. Paul planted and Apollos watered. They don’t claim credit for the result. The Corinthians are really God’s field. They are also called God’s building. All the credit belongs to God.
In the Gospel, we find the root word of “deacons” used again. This time it is used to describe Peter’s mother-in-law after Jesus healed her. After the fever left her, “she got up immediately and waited (diakonai) on them.”
Reflection: We are called to be grateful for all those people who have ministered to us over the years.
Reflection by Archbishop Jerome Hanus, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections