Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
The great controversy that arose as a result of the Decian persecution was whether or not the Church could pardon & receive back into the Church those who had apostacized in the face of martyrdom. Cornelius decreed that they must be welcomed back & insisted that they perform an adequate penance. St. Cyprian was a close friend of Pope Cornelius, & supported him both against the antipope Novatian & in his views concerning the readmittance of apostates into the Church.I am continually puzzled by schismatic, ultra rigorous heresies like Novatianism (arising from the Decian persecution) & the later Donatism (arising from the Diocletianic or Great Persecution). Did not Saint Peter, the Apostle, the first pope, thrice deny the Christ during the Passion? After the Resurrection, did not Jesus forgive Peter? The whole point of Christianity is that we are to share in the Resurrection & the Life of Christ. If we are striving to be like Christ in all things, how can we justify showing less mercy than He showed to Peter? How can we expect to be forgiven our trespasses if we will not forgive those who trespass against us? Is apostasy in the face of persecution to be lauded? Of course not! Is martyrdom glorious? Of course it is! But we are all sinners, & we condemn ourselves to fiery Gehenna when we pretend otherwise & sit in hypocritical judgment of our fellow sinners.
Scripture of the Day
Reading
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter five.
Mass Readings
The First Letter to Timothy, chapter three, verses fourteen thru sixteen;
Psalm One Hundred Eleven, verses one thru six;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter seven, verses thirty-one thru thirty-five.
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