Saturday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Jude 1:17,20-25 | Psalm 62:2-6 | Mark 11:27-33
When there are some who have doubts reassure them; when there are some to be saved from the fire, pull them out; but there are others to whom you must be kind with great caution, keeping your distance even from outside clothing which is contaminated by vice. (Jude 1:22-23)
St. Jude mentions three classes of people to whom we’re called to minister as Christians. The first group believe in God, but are having trouble living the gospel life. Many neophytes and most cradle Catholics fall into this category, including an earlier version of me. This isn’t meant to be a blanket condemnation, as the modern world sings a very compelling siren song, but we all need to be on our guard against the allure of secular affairs.
I’ve previously mentioned my old atheist friend who’s been instrumental in helping me develop my faith, by challenging what I know. I’d class him as “to be saved from the fire”; he’s considerably more Christian in word and deed than most Christians I’ve met, a Good Man whose major fault is that he just doesn’t believe in God.
Then there’s the third group: the tempters, the me-firsters, the connivers, all those who’ve firmly rooted themselves in this world and are not shy of seducing others into following their material ways. They too deserve our mercy and some hope of salvation, but not at the expense of our own souls.
I met one such person years ago, and while the encounter was brief, the impression was indelible: a bon vivant who seemed like a nice guy, but I felt an overwhelming urge to wash my hands after meeting him without quite knowing why. One reviewer of the film American Psycho used a phrase that struck me as rather apt: a “putrid soul in elegant wrapping”.
Not him, but not too far off.
So how can we save such souls without inadvertently being dragged backwards into sin? There really is only one way: We need to make Jesus the true centre of our lives, the anchor of our existence, so that we can stand firm against all the temptations of those who would separate us from our heavenly Father.
Amen.