Wednesday, September 16, 2015


Memorial of St. Cornelius, pope, and St. Cyprian, bishop, martyrs



(I Timothy 3:14-16; Luke 7:31-35)



“You will be known by the company you keep,” our mothers used to tell us.  They were only repeating a folk that generally serves its listeners well.  Not only are people inclined to judge us as good or bad on the basis of our associates, but also we tend to become like our friends. 



But folk wisdom has its limitations.  What do we do, for example, when proverbs contradict one another?  Is “discretion the better part of valor” or is “the one who hesitates lost”?  Obviously, we have to look beneath the surface to attain the truth in matters like this.  Just so, Jesus appeals to his listeners in the gospel today to look beyond what they see as a fault.  His eating and drinking with sinners does not result in his conforming to their sinful ways.  Rather it is causing them to repent of their sins. 



Jesus is telling us not only to stop judging by superficial criteria but also to step out of our social confines.  He wants the young to greet the elderly, blacks and whites to dialogue together, and workers to extend a hand to the unemployed.  Whether or not we talk explicitly about Jesus, we will be giving testimony to his goodness.  Like him, we will be extending ourselves to those outside of our comfort zones.