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Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
1 Corinthians 3:1–9
Imagine two children playing peacefully.
Then a new toy appears.
Both want it.
Only one can have it.
The quarrel begins.
One grabs it.
The other cries.
We understand this.
They are children.
They are still immature.
But what happens when adults do the same?
What happens when nations fight for land, resources, money, power, and influence?
Shall we call this immaturity too?
Today Saint Paul speaks to the Christians in Corinth.
He does not flatter them.
He says:
I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
They believed in Christ.
They belonged to the Church.
They had received the Gospel.
But they were still divided.
They argued.
They competed.
They wanted status.
They compared preachers.
Some said:
I belong to Paul.
Others said:
I belong to Apollos.
Paul saw the problem clearly.
They had received the faith, but they had not yet grown into the life of faith.
They had milk, but they were not ready for solid food.
This is an important lesson for us.
Faith begins with the kerygma, the first proclamation:
Jesus Christ died and rose for us.
He saves us.
He calls us to repentance, faith, baptism, and new life.
This is the milk.
It is necessary.
A child cannot live without milk.
But a child cannot remain forever on milk alone.
Faith must grow.
That is catechesis.
That is learning the Creed, the sacraments, the commandments, and prayer.
But even this is not enough if it does not become life.
And so we enter a mystery:
How can someone know the faith and still live with jealousy, division, pride, and disorder?
We can know the Creed and still refuse forgiveness.
We can receive the Eucharist and still divide the community.
We can speak about God and still think like the world.
So we face the real question:
How can faith become life?
Paul gives us an image.
The Church is God’s field.
Paul planted.
Apollos watered.
But God gave the growth.
Spiritual maturity takes time.
No one becomes Christlike in one day.
But growth must happen.
A field must bear fruit.
So today we can ask:
Where do I still act like an infant in Christ?
Where do jealousy, pride, or division still rule me?
What is one small step I can take this week toward maturity?
More prayer?
More Scripture?
More patience?
More service?
More silence?
More forgiveness?
Lao Zi said:
A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.
This is also true when it comes to growing up in Christ.
No one becomes Christlike in one day.
But we should never give up on that aim.
May the Lord give us the courage to persevere on our journey toward spiritual maturity.
Biblical Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew
Scripture Attribution
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition,
copyright © 1989, 1993
the Division of Christian Education of the National Council
of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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© 2025 Krakus.
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