23 June 2020 - swine language

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Dogs and swine are those who have not yet be enlightened by faith and so cannot recognize the value of the pearls or of holy things. For this reason the early Church kept the mysteries of her liturgy and Sacraments as secrets to initiates only. For this reason the reception Eucharist is still reserved to those who are in communion with the Church. It is nothing against the dogs and the swine. They are simply creatures who, as they are, not only cannot appreciate sacred things, but also invariably bring them down by their carnal understanding.

If then you cast them to the swine, that is, to such as are grovelling in impurity of life, they do not understand their preciousness, but value them like to other worldly fables, and tread them under foot with their carnal life.- Pseudo-Chrysostom

People who do not have the faith to receive sacred things are not meant to remain that way. We keep the sacred things from them even for their own sakes, because they are too important to be taken lightly or misunderstood.

For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself (see First Corinthians 11:29).

If we ourselves were found unable to receive sacred things, unable to give them the proper honor and respect in our hearts and minds, we would not want to be left in that state.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.

It is a lack of faith that makes people unfit for sacred things. Without that faith it is not possible to give them the reverence that is their due. If we are to fulfill the command of Jesus to do for them what we would have them do for us we must desire and work so that their hearts might be opened to the truth, their eyes to the reality of the faith that makes sense of the sacred. Jesus himself gave us an example.

And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly (see Matthew 15:26-28).

The Canaanite woman was first only a dog in her understanding. But by inviting her to faith Jesus raised her up to eat from the masters' table.

We are called to protect due honor to sacred things not only in the hearts of non-Christians, but also and especially in our own hearts. Within ourselves we find that parts of us are still dogs, still swine. We often try to receive grace, whether in prayer or Sacrament, in a casual way, as if it were just another bullet on the to-do list of daily life. It is always the case that there is more greatness and majesty of the mysteries in which partake than we realize. This does not mean we should refrain from receiving them until we can work ourselves into some perfect state. But it does mean we should approach them as the Canaanite woman did, aware of our need for grace and mercy. The faith of the Canaanite woman is the key that can open our hearts more and more to the grace available to us in Christ, grace without limit. It is this posture, rather than an effort of our own, that can open the narrow gate to life.

Jesus came to feed the whole world with the bread of God which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world (see John 6:33). He does not want anyone to be deprived of this bread, of this life he gives. To that end, let us have hearts like that of Hezekiah. He asks the LORD to fight for him, to keep Israel safe from the dogs and swine which would devour it. And the LORD listens.

Therefore, O LORD, our God, save us from the power of this man,
that all the kingdoms of the earth may know
that you alone, O LORD, are God.”

We pray like Hezekiah not simply to preserve the Church against the world, but to save all people from the complacency of our own hearts. Again we find that we and the world share the same temptations and have need of the same salvation.

O God, we ponder your mercy
within your temple.