Introduction
What follows is a figment of my imagination … or is it?
Last night, the American lay theologian Matthew Sadle dreamt that he met Pope St John XXIII. “Your Holiness,” said Matthew, “you once wrote about faith in action.”
“I did,” said Pope John. “I said that concerning the technological development in the world, there is an inconsistency between religious belief and the actions of a significant number of Catholics in the temporal sphere.”
“Perhaps that is why Cardinal Fernandez spoke about intellectual humility?”
“Who is Cardinal Fernandez,” asked Pope John, “and what did he say?”
”Well, he is the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith,” said Matthew, “and he told those who had gathered for a plenary session that faith sheds light on what we learn from the natural and human sciences, not directly, but in the light of the totality, which includes God and God’s creative act.”
”So that means whatever we choose to do, we should ask ourselves ‘What would Jesus do?”
”Yes, your Holiness, WWJD.” And he woke from his dream.
The Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.
‘For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.
‘You have learnt how it was said: You must not commit adultery. But I say this to you: if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye should cause you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand should cause you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body go to hell.
‘It has also been said: Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal. But I say this to you: everyone who divorces his wife, except for the case of fornication, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
‘Again, you have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not break your oath, but must fulfil your oaths to the Lord. But I say this to you: do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by the earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great king. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black. All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’ (Matthew 5:17-37)
The Enquiry
See
If Jesus hasn’t come to do away with the Law and the prophets, why has he come?
Does Jesus raise the bar for those who listen to him? If so, which areas of their lives does he focus on? Are these areas that are relevant today?
How does his teaching affect those who come to listen to him? What answer does the Gospel give to this question?
Judge
What do you think about Jesus’ teaching?
What do you hear Jesus saying to you that challenges how you live today?
What would life be like for you if you followed his teaching consistently?
Act
So what is Jesus calling you to change in yourself and in the world?
What small action can you carry out that will contribute to the change he is calling you to make?
Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?
Image Source: Fr Lawrence Lew OP (Creator), Christ handing on the Law, a mosaic in the Church of Santa Constanta, Rome, Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Worth reading: Matthew Shadle (2026). Cardinal Fernandez on Intellectual Humility
Pope John XXIII (1963). Pacem in Terris.
"So what is Jesus calling you to change in yourself and in the world?"
Avoid scandal and practice what we preach
“A preferential option for the poor” should be maintained in our Catholic Schools. If we find that we cannot afford to keep our schools open to the poor, the Church should be ready to use its resources for something else which can be kept open to the poor. We cannot allow our Church to become a church primarily for the upper classes while leaving the poor in the public schools. The priority should be given to the poor even if we have to let the upper classes fend for themselves.
Practically speaking, the Catholic Schools must give up general education here in the U. S. and use the resources of the Church for “Confraternity of Christian Doctrine” and other programs which can be kept open to the poor. These resources could then be used to help society become more human in solidarity with the poor. Remember, the Church managed without Catholic Schools for centuries. It can get along without them today. The essential factor is to avoid scandal and cultivate enough Faith to act in the Gospel Tradition, namely, THE POOR GET PRIORITY. The rich and middle-class are welcome too. Let’s practice what we preach.