Could someone please comment on the apparent contradiction found in the prayers and readings from “Christian Prayer” this morning (Feb. 4, 2011)? The reading before the Responsory is from Galatians 2:16…“Knowing that a man is not justified by legal observance but by faith in Jesus Christ, we too have believed in him in order to be justified by faith in Christ, not by observance of the law; for by works of the law no one is justified.” Then in the final prayer we pray “Lord, fill our hearts with your love as morning fills the sky. By living your law may we have your peace in this life and endless joy in the life to come.” Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi.
The excerpts you noted are part of a larger (and popular) discussion in Paul’s letter involving the “faith vs. works” arguments between Catholic and Protestant faiths. It’s easy to take such verses out of context when “soundbited”–that is, forgetting that these are sentences from a complete letter, which should be read in its entirety for the full message.
In this letter, Paul notes of he and Titus’s work in teaching the Word to Gentiles–non-Jewish peoples who are subject to practicing Judaic culinary and devotional laws such as avoiding pork, and circumcision. With the arrival of the New Covenant established by Christ, the practice of Judaic law (customs) were no longer required for the first Christians. But some of these Jewish Christians tried to make the Gentiles abide by Old Covenant practices anyway, which prompted Paul to act.
The problem was so challenging that even Peter himself had been partial. He ate with Gentiles but then moved away from them when Jewish Christians arrived so as to look more “Jewish.” Paul called him on this error (2:11-14).
Paul goes on to say in his letter that Christians are not justified by practicing the *customs *of the Old Covenant (Judaic law), but only in practicing the customs of the New Covenant (love of Christ through imitation) (2:16).
No contradiction exists. The New Covenant has its 'laws" (Sacred Tradition) and the Old Testament had their laws. It’s not required for Christians to uphold Judaic law to be a Christian.
Protestants twist these passages to imply that Catholic traditions are also fruitless. Paul states quite the opposite: The Christian Catholic traditions have effectiveness for faith, and no longer Judaic traditions. Protestants suggest that Catholic rituals are “law” and therefore worthless.
For more on how this premise is flawed, see this article from This Rock magazine that goes through these objections.
