Charles: Thanks for your kind words. I wish more people in our circle of acquaintance (not on the Web site surely) would do some of this thinking. They would then see that the old French saying applies to thinks sacred as well as secular (The more things change themore they stay the same). I liked your ending. Oh yes, the RC's have changed the words to "At The Lamb's High Feast We Sing". In the stave that reads (1940 Hymnal) "Christ the Victim, Christ the Priest" a bad change has been made and it now reads "Love (whatever that is) the victim, Love the priest". I prefer a Savikour not a sentiment. Blessings. GTDVW+ > > Thank you for thinking with me on this parable. > > I quite agree with you in regard to "the individual stalks. . .it may > chance of wheat or of some other grain. . ." I am convinced that > ecumenism only works at the local level, as we recognize others who have > been baptized into Christ as our fellow citizens under the Reign of God. > It is the ecumenism on the national level of which I am despairing and > unsure. > > My reason for including the quote from the Jewish source in regard to > the prohibiton of creating a mixed field was to try to give the feel to > people of our time the problems Matthew must have faced. I see the > gospels not only as proclamation, but proclamation and response to > problems in the new Christian communities. > > If my assumption is right, the Gospel of Matthew was is the tradition of > a church in Syria (or at least to a Church with a heavy Jewish > component)then the Mixed Field prohibition from the Tanakh makes sense. > After the Fall of Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jerusalem Church, > there would be even more Gentiles likely to join the Jewish Christian > assemblies in Syria and throughout Asia Minor. The Judaizing problem > did not go away immediately. The discrimination against the Gentiles > (Acts 6:1) was present nearly a generation later as witness the teaching > of St. Paul. The Church became a mixed field. I am rationalizing that > the reason why this parable was included in Matthew was in response to a > question of whether Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians should > assemble together. The parable in effect warns the recipients of > Matthews Gospel, "Do not judge." The Lord of the Harvest will decide at > harvest time. > > From the Visit of the Magi, to the Great Commission there are sayings > and stories in Matthew that indicate to the Jewish Christians that the > Gentiles are to be welcomed. However, this was not immediately accepted > as old lessons are hard to unlearn. The parable of the Mixed Field > gives Jesus another opportunity to say to the Church a generation later > "You have heard it said by them of old time, but I say unto you. . . ." > > "All the world is God's own field, Fruit unto his praise to yield; Wheat > and tares together sown, Unto joy or sorrow grown; > First the blade, and then the ear, Then the full corn shall appear; > Grant, O harvest Lord, that we Wholesome grain and pure may be." > > Charles+ > > > --------- Original Message --------- > > DATE: Tue, 20 May 2003 01:31:09 > From: <gdvw@...> > To: <faithandlife@...> > Cc: > >>> Charles et.al: Thanks for sharing this. I think that the parable is >>> >helpful if we remember that the individual stalks ("...it may chance >>> of wheat or of some other grain...") are the central issue. I think >>> that we can do a bit of creative work and see individual souls that >>> we interact with as priests as the stalks (and we do not always know >>> the whole story >>of their lives and experiences). <snip> > > > > ____________________________________________________________ > Get advanced SPAM filtering on Webmail or POP Mail ... Get Lycos Mail! > http://login.mail.lycos.com/r/referral?aid=27005 > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to > <faithandlife-unsubscribe@...> ----------------------------------------- During the Lenten Season, please help support the mission of Catholic Online by purchasing goods and services from our sponsors at http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent