Ordinary Time 3 - The New Israel

 

Homily for Ordinary Time 3

January 22, 2023

The New Israel

 

            What is this Zebulun and Napthali that we keep hearing about into today’s readings? When Israel entered the Promised Land, they divided it up for the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The tribes of Zebulun and Napthali got the parcels of land in the far north. The land was fine, but their neighbors were problematic. These pieces of land bordered Gentile nations, most of whom were hostile to the Jews. It was always Zebulun and Napthali that got attacked first, and they were the first ones to be dragged away into exile by the Assyrians.

            But in Jesus’ day, no one called that land Zebulun and Napthali because it wasn’t a totally Jewish area. Rather, the Jews lived side-by-side with the very Gentiles who had oppressed them for centuries. So why does Jesus go up there to begin His public ministry?

            Because He is forming a new Israel – a new People of God, a new Chosen People – which, this time, will include both Jews and Gentiles. And to form this new Chosen People, He needed to pick Twelve – not tribes, but Apostles – as He does by choosing Peter and Andrew, James and John. He is establishing a new People of God: the Catholic Church, which will welcome every nation.

            It is amazing to think that our Faith has come down through the Apostles. For example, we have records that demonstrate that John the Apostle was heard by the bishop St. Polycarp, whose preaching was heard by the bishop St. Irenaeus, whose preaching was heard by another bishop…all the way down to the present day. Not only the preaching, but also Holy Orders was handed on this way – Bishop Caggiano was ordained by Bishop DiMarzio, who was ordained by another bishop, by another bishop – all the way back to the Apostles. This lineage of ordination, and of handing on the Faith, going all the way back to the Apostles is called Apostolic Succession. We profess every week in our creed that we believe in an “Apostolic” church – meaning that we believe, teach, profess, and practice our Faith in the same way that the Apostles did.

            Around the year 150, St. Justin the Martyr wrote one of the earliest explanations of the Catholic Faith – it is called the “First Apology” (an “apology” just means an explanation). In it, he describes how early Christians worshipped – note its utter similarity to today’s Mass: “On Sunday, we have a common assembly of all our members, whether they live in the city or the outlying districts. The recollections of the Apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as there is time. When the reader has finished, the president of the assembly speaks to us; he urges everyone to imitate the examples of virtue we have heard in the readings. Then we all stand up together and pray. On the conclusion of our prayer, bread and wine and water are brought forth. The president offers prayers and gives thanks to the best of his ability, and the people give assent by saying Amen. The Eucharist is distributed, and everyone receives Communion, and the deacons take it to those who are sick. The wealthy, if they wish, may make a contribution, and they themselves decide the amount.”

            Does this sound familiar? Literally everything we do every Sunday was present in the early church – gathering on Sunday, the reading of the Old Testament and the Gospels, the homily, the prayers of the faithful, the offering of bread and wine, the Eucharistic prayer, the reception of Holy Communion, and even the collection! Our faith is essentially unchanged from the earliest days of the Church.

            Why is this important? For three reasons.

            First, in today’s world, many people say, “Oh, it doesn’t matter what religion you belong to, as long as you believe in Jesus.” But that isn’t the case – if we follow Jesus, we should also follow the institution that He Himself established for the handing-on of His teachings! Our choice of religion shouldn’t depend upon personal preference but on which faith is still connected to the teachings and the unbroken line of succession with the Apostles themselves. Yes, many other Christian churches may have more up-beat music, or better preaching, or a more welcoming community, or more dynamic activities…but only the Catholic Church has Apostolic Succession, guaranteeing that valid Sacraments and authentic teachings are handed down from generation to generation. As Catholics, we recognize and respect all that is true, good, and beautiful in other Christian faiths – while also believing that truth, goodness, and beauty are present in their fulness in our Catholic Faith.

            Second, apostolic succession is necessary because some people clamor for the Church to change its teachings, especially on controversial issues, to “get with the times.” But the Church’s role is to hand on the Faith of the Apostles. Being grounded on the Apostles means that the Church is the one stable bulwark against the constantly-shifting winds of our modern age. When it seems like everything in the world is up for grabs, we stand firm on the teaching and traditions of the Apostles.

            Finally, being grounded on the Apostles allows us to be proud of our Faith! Over the past twenty years it hasn’t always been easy to be a Catholic, as some of the leaders of our church have done sinful things. But we have plenty of reason to be proud of our Catholic Faith. We are the new Chosen People of God! The Jews had plenty in their history that was imperfect, but their joy at being a son or daughter of Abraham was based on the fact that God had chosen them. We may have had many, many sinners in the history of our Church, but we are still the Bride of Christ, the True Faith started by Jesus Christ upon the Apostles, who were our first Bishops. That’s worth being proud of!

            My friends, our God is a God of order, not of chaos. As much as people may look down on organized religion, God knew that He needed to establish an organized Church to get His mission accomplished – the mission of spreading the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection, His mercy and our new life, to the ends of the world. How blessed we are to be a part of that new Chosen People: the Catholic Church.