 | Father Richard James Cleary was born and reared in Wichita. After graduation from Cathedral High School in 1947, he attended the seminary operated by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey in Northwestern Missouri. There he came to appreciate the life of the monks and, having obtained the permission of Bishop Mark Carroll of Wichita, he became a monk of that monastery. After being ordained a priest in 1955, his superiors sent him to get his master’s degree at the University of Ottawa, Canada, then to study in Athens, Greece, and then in Rome, Italy, where he obtained his doctor’s degree in Theology. Finally, he spent a year of study at Harvard University. Later, Fr. Cleary was assigned to teach for many years in Rome. In 1998, he returned to Wichita, where he served in parish ministry at St. Mary’s Cathedral and at Blessed Sacrament parishes. In 2001, his abbot (superior) transferred him to Arkansas, where he served as chaplain of the Benedictine Sisters of Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro, and helped in the parishes of northeast Arkansas. In March 2010, he was re-assigned to his monastery, Conception Abbey, Conception, in Missouri 64433. He can be contacted there at, 660-944-2877, or by email: rjcleary@juno.com. |
Religion
2002-02-01 15:35:00
Is the Bible contradictory?
Question: While I understand from time to time there might be a contradiction in the way a Bible passage is interpreted, there is one that is causing me some difficulty....it says in one spot that if you do not acknowledge God before man, Jesus will not acknowledge you before His Father. In another spot it says that one should not boast of doing things in honor of God for if you do, you will have already recei
Answer: The first is from Matthew 10:32-33 (or Luke 12:8-9): "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will also disown before my Father in heaven."
The second is from Matthew 6:1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
Then verses 2, 3 and 16 explain what he means by "acts of righteousness".
"When you give to the needy...", "And when you pray...", "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men that they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full."
These are very different cases. The first hides his religion and the second brags about it. In both cases they are crowd-pleasers, but are trying to impress two different crowds. Unfortunately, both of these are still common temptations and failings. Jesus contrasts both of them with genuine God-pleasers.
The first is a person who tries to fit in with the crowd at his or her work place and is afraid of being different, so never objects to unfair practices or filthy jokes or blasphemous language. The second is the same person, but on Sunday at church he pretends to be a faithful and pious follower and servant of Christ.
There is no contradiction in Christ's two reprimands.
