Sunday, August 27, 2006
Monday 21st Week in Ordinary Time
August 28, 2006
Monday 21st Week in Ordinary Time - Yr II
2 THESSLONIANS 1:1-5, 11-12
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought to thank God always for
you, brothers and sisters, as is fitting, because your faith flourishes
ever more, and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever
greater. Accordingly, we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God
regarding your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the
afflictions you endure. This is evidence of the just judgment of God,
so that you may be considered worthy of the Kingdom of God for which
you are suffering. We always pray for you, that our God may make you
worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good
purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may
be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our
God and Lord Jesus Christ.
MATTHEW 23:13-22
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying
to enter. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You
traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you
make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. "Woe to you,
blind guides, who say, 'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.' Blind
fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold
sacred? And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but
if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.' You blind
ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift
sacred? One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon
it; one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in
it; one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who
is seated on it."
REFLECTION
The two letters of Paul to Thessalonians are the earliest writings of
the New Testament. Both were composed about 25 years after the Lord's
Resurrection. In the first of these two letters Paul insists that the
Day of the Lord, Christ's second coming, will come like a thief in the
night. Therefore, Paul says, we must always be on the watch for it, we
must always be ready.
Unfortunately, some of the Thessalonians misinterpreted Paul. They
believed that if the day of the Lord were imminent, there was no sense
whatsoever in engaging in the normal activities of life. The only thing
was to wait for Jesus' arrival and to welcome him. These Christians
abandoned their responsibilities to family, community and state.
Paul therefore wrote the second letter to quiet the Thessalonians. He
wanted to calm them down, to get them to discontinue their excited
idleness, to pursue their daily work patiently and diligently.
The words Paul uses in his thoughts and suggestions in his introduction
of this letter are gentle and encouraging. He tells the Thessalonians
that he is impressed by the way they have been growing not only in
their faith but also in their love for each other. He assures them that
he has even boasted to other churches about how they have persevered in
the midst of their persecutions and trials. He ends today's reading
with a prayer, begging God make the Thessalonians worthy of the call he
has given them.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Stanley A. Lee
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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� 2006 Daily-Homily
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