In today's first reading from Acts 18, we meet Apollos. He was "an eloquent speaker" and "an authority on the Scriptures." But he wasn't fully informed on the faith.
Because Apollos only knew of the baptism of John, Priscilla and Aquila "took him aside and explained to him the Way of God more accurately." They wanted to make sure that this great preacher taught the fullness of the faith, so they, in charity to others, corrected his error.
We must be willing to do the same. There are many out there preaching error. If we catch wind of it, it is important for us to correct it - to speak the truth. Not to chastise the person or for our own benefit, but for those who may be led astray. It is truly an act of charity to speak the truth.
Father, help us to have the boldness to correct error when we find it, and to speak the truth always. Amen.
Ah yes, the truth! But, what is truth? Whose truth?
Without making my comment longer than your Reflection, that is the word that brings me here – along with a number of other sites, having a Spiritual Director, and reading Scripture.
For some clergy, the word “pastoral” equates to permission to do whatever one wants because everyone will be saved. We are “not to judge.” But what about exercising good judgment? How about following His Commands?
St. Peter Damian wrote “The Book of Gomorrah” around 1049 – almost one-thousand years ago! Yet neither our pope (and no, I am not a sedevacantist) nor either of his two predecessors ever thought to utilize his writings that addressed these same issues very clearly. Issues that the papacy of his time addressed and acted upon.
With so many in our Church hierarchy in disagreement about a number of things, it – sadly – is becoming more and more difficult for the laity to know whom to believe/follow. (Maybe even worse is the number who are not even aware of the disagreements and in-fighting!)