Ceremony, the Wall, and the Gentile

This week's readings for this 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time give us a sense of what Christ's teachings mean for the Mosaic Law and the relationship between Jews and Gentiles. The second reading today deserves special attention. Here, Saint Paul is writing to the Ephesians about how Christ's death united the Jews and Gentiles into a single people. He accomplished this by "...[breaking] down the dividing wall of enmity [between the two], through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims" (Gal 2:14).

These words may be confusing to us at first. Did Christ not say during his Sermon on the Mount that he came not “... to abolish [the Law and the prophets] but to fulfill them (Matt 5:17)? Is Paul at odds with Christ on this point? What is the Law anyway?

The issue of whether Gentile converts to Christianity would be required to observe the Mosaic Law was debated in the early church. It was why the First Council of Jerusalem, narrated in Acts 15, was convened. It ultimately decided that Gentile converts would not be required to observe the chuqqah – the Jewish ceremonial laws. Much like the readings today, the council reflects an important concern about Christian unity rooted in belief rather than practice.

For centuries up to that point, the chuqqah distinguished practicing Jews from other peoples. Circumcision, temple sacrifice, dietary laws – all of these were obligatory to observe for anyone converting to Judaism. The necessity of these practices for Gentile converts was abolished by Christ’s death. And this is what Paul refers to when he says the dividing wall of enmity. From now on, what would characterize all Christians, and as such the true children of Abraham, was faith (Gal 3:28-29).

Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote on this in his commentary for today’s second reading. He writes that the Old law i.e. the chuqqah, was a dividing wall (in his words, a partition) for two reasons. Firstly, because it was not to inspire love, but fear. Second, they were not meant to last permanently but for a definite time, after which they would be abolished by Christ’s death.

This leads us to today’s Gospel. The Apostles have just returned from their first mission trip, and the Lord takes them to the desert to enjoy some well-earned rest. The people, however, catch up with them in the desert. The Lord sees this crowd and is moved with pity for them as they were all like sheep without a shepherd. You may recall how Our Lord criticized the Pharisees and Sadducees for emphasizing ritual adherence over inner conversion. That is, of course, reflected in today’s first reading in which God criticizes the shepherds who mislead their flock.

When he says during his Sermon on the Mount, “You have heard it said, but I say…”, he is teaching us about how to convert ourselves inwardly to God – to love him. For what matters in the end is how much we love God, hence why the two greatest commandments are love of God and love of neighbor.

This leads us to the Mass. Is all this not a useless ceremonial ritual? NO. For even though Christ abolished the need for the Old ceremonial laws, he instituted a new sacrifice – the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Mass is, as Pope Benedict XVI described, a sacrifice of love. The ceremonies of the Mass are the reflection of our love for the Eucharistic Lord, made present to us through the priest. This is what ultimately unites us as Catholics the world over – our faith in him and in His True Presence among us.

So today, let us thank God for the gift of faith by which he has made us to be God’s children (John 1:12). Let us also thank him for his continued love for us, made present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. May we also obey his command to love one another (John 13:24), for by this we become true disciples of Christ, united not by external practices but by a bond of love that transcends all barriers.