Fr. Michael Williams

Paul writes to the Roman Christians, ‘Do not model yourselves on the behavior of the world around you, but let your behavior change, modeled by your new mind’. What was the behavior of the Roman world that Paul wanted the Christians of Rome to reject? It’s become a cliché but we know the Romans gave us many good things- roads, aqueducts, amphitheatres, baths, etc. I don’t suppose Paul would have had any problems with these things. But there were other things present in the Roman Empire that were contrary to the Christian behavior, and so Paul speaks against them. Although Rome was built upon seven hills, it was also built upon the seven capital sins, which are the antithesis of Christianity, and these Paul was against.

The foundation of our belief is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Roman populace worshipped false lords. It may be the emperor or the god of war- Mars, or the god of wine and drunkenness- Bacchus. But Paul was saying followers Christ need to leave these old gods behind and worship the real Lord- Jesus Christ. He who is the Suffering Servant, who does not use power and domination and weapons of destruction, but He is the Lord who is meek and humble of heart; the One who suffers grievously, and overcomes it non-violently, by rising on the third day because all authority in heaven and on earth is His.

The Roman authorities ruled by brute power and force, and anyone who bucked the system, usually came to a grizzly end either by being crucified or thrown to the wild beasts. So the Empire was often driven the capital vice of wrath or anger. The Roman powers were not big on mercy or meekness or forgiveness, which Christ said we must practice. Paul said ‘think of God’s mercy’. As God is merciful, we too are called to be merciful, not full of anger and violence. There is a lot of violence and anger in our society too. In fact the Bishop of Lancaster makes a pertinent point in a new document he has published regarding our society: ‘If the State is seen as sponsoring crimes against life, is it any wonder that criminality thrives’.

Another example is the Roman Empire was driven by the capital sins of greed and avarice. The Roman philosopher Seneca writes, ‘When we recline at a banquet, one [slave] wipes up the spittle; another, situated beneath [the table], collects the leavings of the drunks’. The wealthy were eating and drinking to excess, whilst the poor had nothing. The cities of the Empire were divided between the haves and the have nots, which is always a stark sign of greed in any society. I saw a report on the news this week which illustrated that in a poor part of Glasgow the average age of death was 54 because of deprivation, and in another part of Glasgow the average age of death was 84 because the people there were so better off. It’s probably much the same in other British cities. As believers we are called to behavior that counters the vices of avarice and greed. The virtues that counter these vices are generosity and temperance. Paul was telling the Roman Christians to adopt these virtues. We too need to cultivate these virtues in our own lives to combat sinful tendencies that operate within our fallen human nature.

John Chrysostom, the Bishop of Constantinople, once wrote: ‘Make your house beautiful by all means but also look after the poor…No one was ever condemned for not adorning his house, but those who neglect the poor were threatened with hell fire for all eternity and a life of torment with devils’. These kind of words went down like a lead balloon with the wealthy Roman Empress Eudoxia, who had John expelled from his diocese.

Another capital sin the Roman Empire was infected with was lust. I remember visiting the ancient and ruined city of Pompeii several years ago, and marveling at the architecture and the general sophistication of the Roman city, which had been persevered by the volcanic ash that fell upon it two thousand years ago. However, also preserved within the ruined city of Pompeii, were some dark secrets- brothels adorned with pornographic images. These were places were women and children were abused for the gratification of perverted men. Many Christian women rejected such behavior and were martyred for it. Their names are included in the ancient prayer of the Mass, the Roman Canon, saints such as Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecelia, Anastasia. We are blessed to be part of the same Church as these Roman saints. Those women were true feminists upholding their female dignity in the face of impure male oppression and manipulation.

Paul writes to the Roman Christians, and to us: ‘Do not model yourselves on the behavior of the world around you, but let your behavior change, modeled by your new mind’. This message is as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. The final words of the gospel today remind us of the necessity of this: ‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and, when He does, He will reward each one according to His behavior’.