how to stay a baby
"I fed you with milk, and did not give you solid food because you were not ready for it. You are not ready for it even now, being still very much in a natural condition. For as long as there are jealousy and quarrels among you, are you not of the flesh?" —1 Corinthians 3:2-3
Many of the Corinthian Christians were spiritual infants (1 Cor 3:1). They were "big babies." They were immature because they were not ready for solid spiritual food. They could not eat substantial food because they were jealous and quarreling. Disunity limits our spiritual nourishment to "baby food."
The Church is divided between East and West, and the West is divided between Protestants and Catholics. Marriages and families are broken and divided. Disunity is dominant in our culture. According to Paul's principles, this would mean that many Christians would be on spiritual baby food for years. They would not know or care to know the Church's teachings, including the Scriptures. They would be poorly catechized, Biblically illiterate, and even spiritually anorexic, having lost their appetite for spiritual nourishment. As a consequence, these undernourished Christians would be spiritual babies unconcerned about evangelization, Christian community, holiness, lay ministry, vocations, and other aspects of the Christian life requiring maturity to appreciate.
This gives us even more reason to understand why Jesus prays for His disciples to be one as He and the Father are one (Jn 17:21). Jesus died that we may be one (see Jn 11:51-52). Repent, grow to maturity, and be one in the Spirit.
Prayer: Father, may I make every effort to preserve and deepen unity in the Spirit (Eph 4:3).
Promise: "At sunset, all who had people sick with a variety of diseases took them to Him, and He laid hands on each of them and cured them." —Lk 4:40
Praise: Eleanor contracted the potentially fatal Hepatitis C virus. She was prayed over at the bishop's healing service, and was healed.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Richard L. Klug, January 16, 2004
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 26, 2004