6 May 2015
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
The controversy described in the first reading today took place about 15 years after the Resurrection. What does that show us? Disagreements have been part of the Church from the very outset. We shouldn’t be surprised that they are with us today and that they may be going on right up to the Second Coming.
They are good for the Church. If there were not bad branches growing out from the vine the vine grower would have nothing to prune, and so the good branches would not be as fruitful as they could be. Our own experience tells us good comes from evil for those who believe in the Providence of Almighty God, and that fruitfulness is a condition of life as well as a proof that life is present.
Praying over today’s Gospel should enable us to see the controversies going on in the Church today in a proper perspective. The 1st reading should enable us to appreciate that persons of authority in the Church have always made decisions after contentious debate. Both readings together should encourage us to pray daily for Pope Francis and for our bishops.