Acts 15
When God made a covenant with Abraham, God ordered Abraham to circumcise all males in his tribe as the sign of the covenant. Since the promise of the land given to Abraham would be realized in the future, circumcision was the sign of the heir of the promise. But at the same time, to the descendants of Abraham, circumcision was the reminder of the faithfulness to God as the condition of the covenant.
Even after Israelites settled in the land of the promise, circumcision was practiced as a precept of the law of Moses. However, the people of Israel now paid less attention to the spirit of circumcision. Rather, Israel people believed the practice of circumcision could make a person an heir of God’s promise, a chosen race of God. In reality, however, circumcision became a membership ceremony of the people of Israel. Circumcision symbolized the nationality of Israel.
As we hear in the first reading today, circumcision became a controversial issue in Christian mission to non-Jewish people. The question was whether the covenant of Abraham and the law of Moses were applied to foreign people for salvation. In other words, it was the question of applying Judaism to the Gentiles.
This controversy became a watershed of the early Church. Through this controversy, Christianity distinguished itself from Judaism. Christianity declared itself not bound by nationality. It meant salvation was not limited to a certain tribe or race but for all peoples. At the same time, Christianity refused the idea that simply a ritual practice such as circumcision could save a person. Although Christianity was heading outward to the whole world, it internalized salvation. That is – salvation does not come by an external ritual but by interior faithfulness to God. To be saved, we have to live in God and God has to live in us.
This is exactly what Jesus teaches through the parable of the vine and branches. “Abide in me as I abide in you,” Jesus says in today’s gospel. We need circumcision of the heart and let Christ live in us as St Paul teaches.
During this pandemic, without any public celebration, we have an ample opportunity to see whether we miss the Mass just because it is what we used to go to, or because we long for the union with Christ. I saw myself not in union with Christ while I received Christ’s body and blood. When I don’t forgive my neighbours or only follow my desires, even if I receive Christ in the sacrament, I stop Christ from entering me and living in me.
