Biographical Information about St. Monica[1]
Readings for Wednesday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10, 16-18
St. Paul concludes his second letter to the Church at Thessalonika with instructions on how to deal with members of their community who were “disorderly”. It is likely that this behavior was surfacing because of the forged letter that announced that the Apocalypse was at hand – some of the individuals who believed this may have stopped working and became a drain on the resources of the Church. St. Paul tells the membership to shun these individuals – to shame them into returning to St. Paul’s own teaching. (We note he concludes his letter assuring the recipients that it is from him and written in his own hand.)
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 128:1-2, 4-5
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Psalm 128 is a song of thanksgiving. It begins here with the typical blessings for following and having faith in the Lord. The faithful shall see the work of their hands prosper.
Gospel Matthew 23:27-32
This passage concludes St. Matthew’s treatment of the “Seven Woes” with the final two exhortations against the scribes and Pharisees. In the “Sixth Woe” Jesus derides the leadership for false piety. While their acts of worship would make them seem upright and faith-filled, their interior agendas are sinful. Their professed faith is not echoed with actions – especially with charity.
The “Seventh Woe” attacks the pride of these leaders who engage in pompous piety. “In spite of honoring the slain dead by building their tombs and adorning their memorials, and claiming that they would not have joined in their ancestors' crimes if they had lived in their days, the scribes and Pharisees are true children of their ancestors and are defiantly ordered by Jesus to fill up what those ancestors measured out. This order reflects the Jewish notion that there was an allotted measure of suffering that had to be completed before God's final judgment would take place.”[3] Theologically, verses 29-32 provide strong support of Maccabeean Purgatory.
Reflection:
Today we think the Sacred Scripture is being “harsh”. In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he is addressing the methods of dealing with those who “…walk in a disorderly way.” He (Paul) goes on to say that those who do not work should not get anything to eat. This last statement could easily be taken out of context and used to support a position that says that we should not feed the homeless or disenfranchised. But we need to understand what was going on with the Christian community at Thessalonica.
It seems that a significant number of the community thought Jesus’ return was imminent, that is the end times (eschaton) were at hand. As a consequence of this belief they apparently quit working and became quite “disorderly”. We can only guess what that meant (What would you do if you thought the world was going to end in a few short days or weeks?)
Paul’s instructions make sense in those circumstances. If one of these people who lived in the community with you decided to just quit and wait for the end (remember the early Christian communities frequently lived in communal fashion, sharing all property, including the food.), the first thing to do was to shun them, basically stop talking to them avoiding even contact with them. Second, if they are not working, they don’t share the food.
Paul, himself, may have expected the eschaton within his lifetime (based on other parts of his letters he probably did) but he points out, just incase his instructions seem too harsh, that while he and his friends were with them he worked hard (his implication is he did so even though he could have expected, because of his position, not to have been required to do so).
While the message of Paul is directed at another situation we can still take some direction from it. First, we who live in Christian community today are expected to support ourselves. There are those who expect to be supported by us through charity. They understand our faith and know that the Lord commands us to feed the hungry and take care of the poor.
Our first reaction to these individuals is to give them food if they are hungry. That does not necessarily mean give them ten dollars and be on our way (although that is the easiest course). That means take the time to feed them ourselves; take them to a community kitchen or a restaurant to see they are fed. (Note: many who are homeless are on the streets because they have mental conditions which have caused them to be rejected by society. We would urge anyone who feels compelled to feed one of these disenfranchised persons not to take them to your home unless you know the person well and are confident that you are not placing your self or your family at risk. Further, a number of what we will call the “professional homeless” will reject this type of aid – they are really looking for money.)
The next step, if we have the ability and time, is to help them get back on their feet by helping them get in touch with social or educational programs so they can earn their way. If this does not work, if they are either incapable or unwilling to support themselves, we find ourselves in a moral dilemma. Do we now support them in perpetuity or do we “cut them loose”? The work of charity has its own unique set of challenges to the faith.
Pax
[1] The picture used today is “St. Monica” by Louis Tristán De Escamilla, 1616
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
[3] See NAB note on Matthew 23:29-32
Readings for Wednesday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10, 16-18
St. Paul concludes his second letter to the Church at Thessalonika with instructions on how to deal with members of their community who were “disorderly”. It is likely that this behavior was surfacing because of the forged letter that announced that the Apocalypse was at hand – some of the individuals who believed this may have stopped working and became a drain on the resources of the Church. St. Paul tells the membership to shun these individuals – to shame them into returning to St. Paul’s own teaching. (We note he concludes his letter assuring the recipients that it is from him and written in his own hand.)
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 128:1-2, 4-5
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Psalm 128 is a song of thanksgiving. It begins here with the typical blessings for following and having faith in the Lord. The faithful shall see the work of their hands prosper.
Gospel Matthew 23:27-32
This passage concludes St. Matthew’s treatment of the “Seven Woes” with the final two exhortations against the scribes and Pharisees. In the “Sixth Woe” Jesus derides the leadership for false piety. While their acts of worship would make them seem upright and faith-filled, their interior agendas are sinful. Their professed faith is not echoed with actions – especially with charity.
The “Seventh Woe” attacks the pride of these leaders who engage in pompous piety. “In spite of honoring the slain dead by building their tombs and adorning their memorials, and claiming that they would not have joined in their ancestors' crimes if they had lived in their days, the scribes and Pharisees are true children of their ancestors and are defiantly ordered by Jesus to fill up what those ancestors measured out. This order reflects the Jewish notion that there was an allotted measure of suffering that had to be completed before God's final judgment would take place.”[3] Theologically, verses 29-32 provide strong support of Maccabeean Purgatory.
Reflection:
Today we think the Sacred Scripture is being “harsh”. In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he is addressing the methods of dealing with those who “…walk in a disorderly way.” He (Paul) goes on to say that those who do not work should not get anything to eat. This last statement could easily be taken out of context and used to support a position that says that we should not feed the homeless or disenfranchised. But we need to understand what was going on with the Christian community at Thessalonica.
It seems that a significant number of the community thought Jesus’ return was imminent, that is the end times (eschaton) were at hand. As a consequence of this belief they apparently quit working and became quite “disorderly”. We can only guess what that meant (What would you do if you thought the world was going to end in a few short days or weeks?)
Paul’s instructions make sense in those circumstances. If one of these people who lived in the community with you decided to just quit and wait for the end (remember the early Christian communities frequently lived in communal fashion, sharing all property, including the food.), the first thing to do was to shun them, basically stop talking to them avoiding even contact with them. Second, if they are not working, they don’t share the food.
Paul, himself, may have expected the eschaton within his lifetime (based on other parts of his letters he probably did) but he points out, just incase his instructions seem too harsh, that while he and his friends were with them he worked hard (his implication is he did so even though he could have expected, because of his position, not to have been required to do so).
While the message of Paul is directed at another situation we can still take some direction from it. First, we who live in Christian community today are expected to support ourselves. There are those who expect to be supported by us through charity. They understand our faith and know that the Lord commands us to feed the hungry and take care of the poor.
Our first reaction to these individuals is to give them food if they are hungry. That does not necessarily mean give them ten dollars and be on our way (although that is the easiest course). That means take the time to feed them ourselves; take them to a community kitchen or a restaurant to see they are fed. (Note: many who are homeless are on the streets because they have mental conditions which have caused them to be rejected by society. We would urge anyone who feels compelled to feed one of these disenfranchised persons not to take them to your home unless you know the person well and are confident that you are not placing your self or your family at risk. Further, a number of what we will call the “professional homeless” will reject this type of aid – they are really looking for money.)
The next step, if we have the ability and time, is to help them get back on their feet by helping them get in touch with social or educational programs so they can earn their way. If this does not work, if they are either incapable or unwilling to support themselves, we find ourselves in a moral dilemma. Do we now support them in perpetuity or do we “cut them loose”? The work of charity has its own unique set of challenges to the faith.
Pax
[1] The picture used today is “St. Monica” by Louis Tristán De Escamilla, 1616
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
[3] See NAB note on Matthew 23:29-32
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