960319.03B
> From: "Diana M. Giova" <102104.534@compuserve.com>
> To: Father Mateo <76776.306@compuserve.com>
> Subject: Conversion
Dear Diane,
Mark 7:15-23 gives us Our Lord's instructions on what it is that
defiles a man. There in verse 19, Mark tells us specifically that
Jesus declares all foods clean. In Acts 10:9-16, St. Peter
receives a vision from heaven which declares all foods to be clean
and repeals the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic law.
Therefore, to say that one should not eat pork or seafood violates
the clear teaching of God's written word in the New Testament.
St. Paul's prudential instructions about eating meat which had
been sacrificed to pagan gods and was thereafter offered for sale
in the market show that he took for granted the liceity of eating
meat. Nehemiah encouraged the Jews to keep a joyful feast, saying
to them, "Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to
him for whom nothing is prepared" (Nehemiah 8:10).
Isaiah 25:6 uses a rich banquet of meats and choice wines as a
metaphor for the eternal banquet of heaven. This would be
pointless and silly figure of speech if God were imposing a
teetotal vegetarianism. St. Paul is no fool --- he knows he
danger of drinking too much (1st Tim. 3:8), but he praises the
wisdom of drinking a little wine (1st Tim. 5:23).
Our Blessed Lord was accused by his detractors of being a glutton
and a drunkard (Mat. 11:19). This was rash judgement and a lie,
but we do know that he went out to dinner when he was invited (cf.
Luke 5:29, 7:36). To assert that these dinners were meatless and
wine less repasts would be mindless indeed. We know also that
Jesus and his disciples kept the Passover. The Passover supper
required the eating of the Passover lamb and drinking of four cups
of wine.
The early Christians of Galatia, some of St. Paul's first
converts, soon fell under the sway of certain agitators, who
persuaded them they could not be saved unless they reinstated
circumcision and other ritual precepts of the Mosaic Law. St.
Paul wrote the Epistle to the Galatians (q.v.) in an effort to
reclaim his converts from their error. Otherwise, Christ would
have died for nothing (cf. Gal. 2:21) and Christ would be of no
benefit to them (Gal. 5:2). Dietary restrictions and Saturday
observance are precepts of the old Law and have nothing to do with
living in Christ. You are bound by none of those promises.
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Mateo
- Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit -
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