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| “St. Augustine in His Cell” by Sandro Botticelli, 1490-94 |
Reading 1: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8b-10
Commentary on 1 Thes 1:1-5, 8b-10
This is the introduction of St. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. It is also the first mention by St. Paul of the three theological virtues: faith, love, and hope. “Paul recalls the time he first spent with his readers. What stands out in his mind are the theological virtues that changed their lives: in faith they abandoned their idols and embraced the living God (1:9); in hope they endured suffering and expressed longing for the final salvation that Jesus will bring when he returns (1:10; 5:9); and in love they served one another in generous and sacrificial ways (4:9-10). These will protect them like armor in the challenging days ahead (e:8).”[4]
In this selection from the introduction to St. Paul’s first letter to the Church he founded in Thessalonica, St. Paul also speaks in general terms of themes he will develop later, the Christian adoption by God and his own authority as an Apostle of Jesus Christ.
CCC: 1 Thes 1:10 442
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Commentary on Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
Psalm 149 is a communal song of praise, rejoicing in God’s kingship and inviting the faithful to celebrate his saving works. We rejoice because God brings victory to the lowly and hope to the oppressed. The psalmist calls to the faithful to give praise in the assembly of the people – to give witness to their faith publicly – communally, as God’s chosen ones.
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Gospel: Matthew 23:13-22
Commentary on Mt 23:13-22
This selection from St. Matthew’s Gospel lays down the first three of the “Seven Woes” in which Jesus condemns Pharisaic practices. The first condemnation directly attacks their authority as shepherds tasked with leading the people to God. He accuses them of “locking the kingdom of heaven” (recall earlier Jesus gave St. Peter the keys to that lock Matthew 16:19). The inference is that they lack the authority, principally because their own actions do not merit them entry into God’s Kingdom.
The second “Woe” is probably a reflection about the vehemence with which new converts to Judaism persecuted the early Christian Church. The inference is that, in the conversion process, the Pharisees' teaching closed the minds of those converts to the truth, and thereby took them off the path to salvation. The Lord goes on to ridicule these “false guides” because what they do does not match what they teach.
The third “Woe” attacks the whole concept of the language used in making a binding oath. The essence of the Lord’s attack is that, if one makes a promise, the underlying honesty of the person should be the bond, not some legal construct based upon the exact language used. If one swears an oath based upon an object that points to God, they have sworn on God himself. Though Jesus forbids his disciples from making oaths of any sort, he tells the Jewish leaders that, because they only value oaths associated with the value it brings to the temple, their reward will be in “Gehenna.”
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Reflection:
The first three of the “Seven Woes” found in St. Matthew’s Gospels speak to conduct that makes us worthy of the name Christian. (Note: if you read the biblical text and not just the readings from the lectionary you may have noticed that v. 14 is actually not there. It is missing because in the very first manuscripts of Matthew that verse was absent. It was actually inserted later and was taken almost verbatim from St. Mark’s Gospel (Mark 12:40). The syntax and content were clearly of a different style than the rest of St. Matthew’s work, so it has been left out of modern texts.). In the first of these “Woes,” Jesus takes issue with the conduct of the Pharisees as they exercise the authority of their office. To paraphrase this “Woe,” we might say: “Because you tell everyone that does not do exactly as you say that they are going to hell, you have closed the gates of heaven for yourselves.” In other words, if we assume we have somehow been given the authority to judge others in God’s name, we have judged ourselves and woe to us.
In the second “Woe,” we are warned, again through the Lord’s condemnation of the Pharisees, that leading others into that elitist attitude described in the first “Woe” leads the converted to condemnation. That’s kind of convoluted, but let’s say it this way: if we bring a person to share our faith (this is especially important for parents to understand), and tell that converted person that anyone who disagrees with them (and us) about the faith is going to hell, we have placed them on a path that leads to the very place to which we have condemned those who may disagree with us. Logically this means we cling to truth but do not presume to condemn or judge. Judgment is reserved to Jesus alone.
The third “Woe” is aimed at being honest with ourselves and with God. When we make a promise, we should not behave like children who might quibble over the exact language used when assigning a task. A child might say: “You told me to pick up my room and I did. You didn’t say I had to clean under my bed.” I would hate to be a lawyer and have to live up to this “Woe.” The point is, when we make a promise, most especially a sacred promise, we must mean what we say and act on that promise in good faith. Woe to us if we do not.
Today we have been given three very practical instructions that will lead us closer to the peace of Christ. They may not always be appreciated by the world, but for us the world is not where we place our hope. It is in Christ’s salvation we hope.
Pax
[1] The picture used today is “St. Augustine in His Cell” by Sandro Botticelli, 1490-94
[4] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco , CA. pp.373
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