Tuesday of the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time
The reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians speaks of the distinction between the Spirit of God and the spirit of the World. Some interpretations of this text led to the idea of a dichotomy, a split between body and soul, mind and matter. The great saints always fought against such a split, but it was Paul, in fact, who led the charge. His admonition to charity and care of the Christian community served as a distinguishing characteristic of the early church, a sentiment clearly stated in the epistle of James which necessitated the bodily care of the poor within the community. The saints were no less fervent in establishing care for the body, Ignatius included. Certainly, these saints saw a priority. Ignatius clearly stated that we were created by God to be with God for all eternity. Creation enjoyed a necessity since it was created by God for us to use as a means to move towards that same loving God, a way of looking at the world clearly stated in the First Principle and Foundation of the Spiritual Exercises. Paul’s letter admonishes his readers then and now to understand the world considering the human person’s ultimate goal. By means of this focus, we have full privilege and obligation to use the good things God has given us in creation. As the First Principle states, it is our obligation to understand or to “scrutinize everything” so that we can put it to best use.