2 June 2018
Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The letter of Jude is one of the shortest books of the Bible. It has two main parts: warnings against false Christian teachers and the ensuing divisions they cause, together with exhortations to unity. The author openly condemns false teachers who despise Christian morality and make a mockery of Christian liturgies. As a remedy he proposes that we hold fast to original apostolic teachings and stay close to the Lord in prayer.
We should not take it for granted that Jude’s condemnations of false teachers applies only to other people. Instead, we must, from time to time, consider the real possibility that we are the ones who now “pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4). After all, as Jude mentions, there were many Israelites who rebelled against God even after God freed them from slavery in Egypt (Jude 5). And there were many angels who “deserted their proper dwelling” (Jude 6). If both Israelites, who walked through the Red Sea dry shod, and angels, who looked upon the face of God, could later fall away, couldn’t you, too? We must find a way to do what Jude says: “But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” (Jude 20-21).