Year: 2024

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2 Thessalonians 3: 6-10, 16-18

We instruct you, brothers and sisters,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to shun any brother
who walks in a disorderly way
and not according to the tradition they received from us.
For you know how one must imitate us.
For we did not act in a disorderly way among you,
nor did we eat food received free from anyone.
On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked,
so as not to burden any of you.
Not that we do not have the right.
Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you,
so that you might imitate us.
In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that
if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.

May the Lord of peace himself
give you peace at all times and in every way.
The Lord be with all of you.

This greeting is in my own hand, Paul’s.
This is the sign in every letter; this is how I write.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

The Word of the Lord.

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Saint Augustine is one of the most influential thinkers the Catholic Church has ever known. Over five million of his words, either written or preached, have been preserved for nearly two thousand years.

One of his most famous works is his memoir titled, Confessions, which Augustine wrote while he was the bishop of Hippo in Northern Africa. In this book, he confesses his storied past, his dramatic conversion, and ultimately, comes to the conclusion:

“Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O LORD.”

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No one had a greater impact on Catholic theology than Augustine until Saint Thomas Aquinas, who lived 800 years later. Like Augustine, Aquinas was a towering intellect and a prolific writer, who wrote more than 100,000 pages of his own philosophy and theology.

And yet, while celebrating Mass one day, Aquinas received a revelation that affected him so profoundly he never wrote another word. 

“The end of my labors has come,” he said. “All that I have written appears to be as so much straw after the things that have been revealed to me.”

Three months later, Aquinas breathed his last.

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What do the lives of these two towering Saints have in common? What can they teach us today?

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While you and I could only dream of impacting the Church the way either Augustine or Aquinas has, our reward is still the same:

Eternal life in the kingdom of God.

Saint Paul reminds us in our first reading that there is work to be done, but, “the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.”

Whatever God has given us to do, may we do it all. The reward far outweighs the effort.

Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) (2) Saint Augustine, by Claudio Coello (3) La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church

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Gospel: Matthew 23: 23-26

Jesus said:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,
and have neglected the weightier things of the law:
judgment and mercy and fidelity.
But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Monica, the patroness of mothers, married women, and alcoholics.

Hers was a difficult life, sustained by faith and grace. Monica’s husband was a serially unfaithful drunkard, whose wayward life rubbed off on their children. 

We know the story of one of her children, in particular, Augustine of Hippo.

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Like his father, Augustine was a restless youth who caused his mother to worry constantly. Although he was immensely gifted, Augustine first used his gifts to better himself.

For 17 years, Monica prayed for his conversion. I’m sure she shed enough tears to fill the sea, storming heaven in prayer day after day, night after night. 

But she never gave up. Love never does. 

Shortly before her death, Monica’s prayer was answered, at least for her son.

Augustine not only became Catholic; he was later ordained a priest and a bishop. Finally putting his gifts at the service of the Church, Augustine became one of the most influential thinkers the Church has ever known — and a Saint, to boot!

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On her deathbed, Monica asked Augustine for one thing: “That you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be.”

That’s something each of us can do for our loved ones, especially those who struggle in any way – with faith, temptation, or a particular cross.

We remember them today at the altar of the Lord, trusting that, through Monica’s intercession, our prayers will also be answered.

Saint Monica, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Life Palatte (2) St. Monica, Come into the Word with Sarah Christmyer (3) EWTN.com

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Gospel: 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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Someone once said, “You may be the only bible a person ever reads.”

As Christians, you and I are meant to digest the Word of God so deeply that it becomes part of who we are.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus accuses the religious authorities of doing the very opposite. They’ve essentially hijacked religion, turning it into a system of rules, leading people to believe that God cares more about the purity of their hands than the purity of their hearts.

“Woe to you!” Jesus says.

The meaning of this word, “woe,” in Greek not only carries a sense of deep wrath, but also sorrow. The fact that the religious leaders of his day have prevented people from encountering the love and mercy of God made Jesus sorrowfully angry.

So, he condemns them with seven different “woes.” Some have called this Gospel passage, “Christ’s rolling thunder.” Nowhere else does Jesus issue such a strong, sustained rebuke. In fact, the religious leaders are the only ones whom Jesus condemns in the Gospels.

This is a damning truth, considering the fact that Jesus prayed for – and even forgave – his executioners! But this is how seriously the Lord holds religious figures accountable – or, for that matter, anyone who claims to know him.

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“You may be the only bible a person ever reads.”

So, how has the Word of God come alive in your heart? How is the compassion of Christ revealed in your speech? How does the love of God reveal itself through your actions?

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As Teresa of Avila reminds us, “Christ has no body on earth now, but yours.” May we use our eyes, our voice, our hands and feet to reveal the infinite love and mercy of God, lest Jesus cry out, “Woe to you!”

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Image credits: (1) Jesus Christ- The World’s Savior and Redeemer (2) The Sydney Morning Herald (3) Strength with Dignity