INTRUDERS!

Saturday of Week 8 in Ordinary Time

Jude 1:17,20-25

We don’t hear from 1 Jude in the lectionary very often…never on Sunday.  So…a few things the scholars say*:

·    A homily in the form of a letter

·    Pseudoepigraphical-written under the name of Jude (1^st century folks weren’t as impressed with ‘individual originality’ as we are;) 

·    Along with 1&2 Peter, James, and 1-3 John, written under the name of one of Jesus’ brothers…not a bad idea

·    Confronts crisis caused by ‘intruders’…a/k/a false teachers

·    Uses lots of OT allusions

·    Very polemical evidenced by heated language

·    While not among the ‘heavy-weight’ letters, Jude (and 2 Peter) offer insights into “the areas of church life, inculturation, and Christian spirituality.”

Our pericope today begins with a warning that moves to an exhortation, followed by the doxology.  Even though you are being tempted by these ‘intruders’ stand firm…judge them by their divisiveness.  The fruit of their preaching is not of the Holy Spirit. 

Just today I read an editorial in the “religion & values” section of the newspaper, that from my perspective was embarrassingly simplistic, un-nuanced, and ill-informed.  And yet, it will get read, and people will think that it conveys ‘Christianity.’  The tell-tale sign was the incredible divisiveness of the tone.  Intruder!

Some things never change…

Yikes!  I sound so divisive!  But I would welcome a polite sit-down with the author;)

*Sacra Pagina, Volume 15, Daniel J Harrington SJ, p167