Readings:
2 Chronicles 24
Sirach 27
1 Corinthians 11

1 Corinthians 11

Although Paul sees a fundamental equality in men and women concerning redemption and salvation, he recognizes a difference in the sexes in order of creation and nature. Here Paul refers to the natural order of a family with the husband as the head, but it’s extremely important to remember that Christ is ultimately the head of any household. We should allow Jesus to rule as king in our families, as we do say in the Lord’s Prayer “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

The head coverings here are now viewed as a disciple inspired by local custom and not a doctrinal issue. This is the understanding and teaching of the church today as stated in the CDF document found here in paragraph 4 https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19761015_inter-insigniores_en.html

Paul turns to what he considers a very serious violation of Christian unity. The Corinthians had made a practice of meeting for a common mean as fellowship before the celebration of weekly liturgy and at these meals there was disunity because of divisions between the wealthier members and the poor. He says that the if the point of these meals are fellowship they are having a counterproductive effect.

He then turns to abuses of the Eucharist itself and how profaning the host is a profanation of the Body of Jesus. This is a very clear example of Paul’s belief, and the early church as a whole, in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. If it were only a symbol, then eating it unworthily would at worst be a symbolic profaning of the Body, but he doesn’t use symbolic language at all. He says it IS profaning Our Lord’s body and blood.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
2 Chronicles 25-28
Sirach 28
1 Corinthians 12