11 September 2018
Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Earlier this year, the family members of 9/11 victims won a multibillion-dollar judgement against a country in the Middle East for allegedly aiding in the 2001 terror attacks. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of relatives of some 1,008 victims, set the designated country payouts of $12.5 million per spouse of each victim, $8.5 million per parent, $8.5 million per child, and $4.25 million per sibling. Obviously, the designated country will likely never pay this.
In the first reading today, we hear that Paul writes about his concerns dealing with taking legal action against one another. Some members of the community were suing other members in the pagan court. Scholars interpret this passage as an address to the Corinth elite who take the lowly people to pagan court knowing that the judges would normally issue a ruling in favor of the elite. Paul calls upon the Corinth community to acknowledge how God will assist His people on judgement day. For Paul, the Corinthians’ behavior is a sign that they are still stuck with the idea that injustice must be addressed in the pagan court. As Christians, they must not worry about the failure to adjudicate injustice in the pagan courts. At the end of the day, any injustice on earth will not survive the day of judgement in front of the heavenly court.
While the victory of 9/11 victims’ families will not lead to any payouts, they could wait for the justice of God, in which the injustice on earth will be addressed. In prayer today, pray for the families of the victims of 9/11 as well as all of the injustice on earth. Are you able to leave this injustice behind by moving on to pursue of God’s love and to love your neighbors?