O121 Archives

Wednesday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – Gospel

Commentary on Matthew 23:27-32

We come today to the last two of the seven ‘Woes’ which Jesus throws against Pharisaism. Again it is an attack on hypocrisy and he gives two examples:

6. …you are like whitewashed tombs… (vv 27-28)

On the one hand he compares the Pharisees to “whited sepulchres” (“whitewashed tombs” in the NRSVue translation), a phrase (like many others) that has found its way into everyday English through the King James version of the Bible. In other words, they are like the tombs that people in Palestine could often see spotlessly clean in their whitewashed stones, but which inside were full of the decaying and rotting bodies of the dead.

One reason they were whitewashed was because a person who unwittingly stepped on a grave became ritually unclean. Whitewashing made them more visible, especially in the dark. The Pharisees put on an external show of religious perfection down to the tiniest detail, but inside, their hearts and minds were full of pride and hatred and contempt for their fellow man. It was epitomised in the story that Jesus told of the Pharisee and the tax collector who went to the Temple to pray. The sanctimonious prayer of the Pharisee was:

God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
(Luke 18:11)

It was, of course, to some extent true, but it closed his mind to a different kind of sin altogether—his pride and imagined self-sufficiency. As Jesus will say in another place, the greatest sin of the pharisaical is their sheer blindness, the inability to see themselves for what they really are. This, I suppose, is the most dangerous sin of the pious in any age, and yet the one least likely to be confessed and repented. And it can happen to any of us.

7. …you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous… (vv 29-32)

On the other hand, mention of tombs leads Jesus to comment on the Pharisees’ pride over the tombs they have built in memory of the prophets and other holy people. They congratulate themselves that, if they had been present, they would never have partaken in the actions which brought persecution and death to the prophets. Yet here is Jesus, the prophet of all prophets, whom they are preparing to kill.

In the last verse of our reading, Jesus tells them to go ahead and complete the murdering of the prophets, referring to what is going to happen to himself. This is another classic example of the blindness of the self-righteous. The more committed we are to our Christian faith and to the behaviour that it expects, the greater the danger that we, too, can fall into the same trap and see ourselves on a higher level than others whose behaviour we deplore and perhaps even attack.

Whole groups of such people have been appearing in recent years, people who claim to know the Church better than the Pope, who still deplore the ‘heresies’ of the Second Vatican Council, or who close themselves off into elitist groups afraid of being contaminated not only by the ‘world’, but even by other Catholics!

Saturday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – Gospel

Commentary on Matthew 25:14-30

Today is our final weekday reading from Matthew’s Gospel and on Monday we will begin the reading of Luke’s Gospel. Today is also our last reading from the fifth and final Eschatological Discourse of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel.

There are two great passages left—the parable of the talents and the description of the last judgement—but we will only be taking the first of these. Both deal with the final judgment and, like the parable of the bridesmaids, are warnings on how we are to prepare.

The parable speaks of a wealthy man who, before he set off on a journey, entrusted his servants (slaves) with large sums of money. He gave them different amounts according to their ability. One received five talents, a second, two, and the third just one. A ‘talent’ was an enormous amount of money in the ancient world, so five talents was a veritable fortune. Originally, the term stood for a unit of weight, about 75 pounds or 30-something kilos. Later it became a unit of coinage, the value depending on the metal used. Actually, our current meaning of ‘talent’ comes from this parable.

The amount given out indicates the generosity of the master. But the money was not for their own personal enjoyment; it was meant to be used productively.

The first two servants both traded actively with the money they had been given and doubled their original capital. The third man, however, buried his money in the ground, as this was considered the most secure place in a pre-banking society.

When the master came back, the first two presented their accounts. Their master was very pleased and they were entrusted with even more responsibility. To each he said:

Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.

Then the third man came along with his one talent. He had not traded with it because he was afraid he would lose his money and said:

Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.

Ironically, he was the one who was given the least and from whom the least was expected. But even with that little responsibility he failed to produce. Perhaps he even expected to be praised for his prudence.

The master does not deny the charge of being a hard man, but he accuses the man of not having done even the least thing to increase his capital. He could have deposited or lent the money and got some interest. But he had absolutely nothing to show of his own.

The money is taken from him and given to the one who had five talents. Surprising? Unfair? Not really. This man had already shown he was a very good investment. And Jesus sums up:

For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

As mentioned above, the word ‘talent’, which in biblical times referred to a huge amount of money, now denotes a particular gift or ability with which a person is endowed. “He has a great talent for music; she has a great talent for design.” In that sense, we have all been endowed with talents in varying degrees or, to use a word which Paul prefers, charisms. In either case, they indicate some distinctive ability which is to a large extent innate or God-given.

Everyone of us has been endowed in some way. And, as in the parable, some are greatly endowed and others less so. All that is asked is that we make use of that gift or those gifts to the best of our ability, and not for ourselves alone (that is to bury them in the ground), but to build up the Kingdom and make a positive contribution to the community to which we belong.

At the end we will be asked, as the men in the parable were, “How did you use the gifts I gave you and how productive were they in furthering the growth of the Kingdom?”

Today then is a day for us to identify what those gifts actually are. It is possible that some people have never given it much thought. They see their Christian life in rather passive terms, just looking after themselves, living in conformity to the commandments of God and the Church, fulfilling their ‘religious duties’, making sure to die ‘in the state of grace’. But this, in effect, is to bury one’s talents.

Today’s Gospel makes it very clear that far more is expected of us. We are expected to make an active and positive contribution to the work of the Kingdom and to the Christian community as the Body of Christ. In practice, that means taking an active part in our Church, in our parish, and in making a contribution to the betterment of our society. So, it is very important for us to spend some time in reflecting on what are my unique ‘talents’ or gifts or abilities and then to ask how and to what end I am using them? The time to do that is today because, as we have been amply warned, we do not know when our Master is coming back to check his accounts with us.

The end of today’s passage indicates that if we do not move forward, or are not productive, then we go backwards. We cannot remain static or purely passive in God’s service. To do nothing is not a possible option. The more we give and share with others from the resources we have, the more we are personally enriched. On the other hand, to cling to our gifts and keep them just for ourselves is to become smaller in every way.

Saturday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – First Reading

Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11

Paul provides two pieces of advice for the Thessalonians today. First, that while they have heeded Christ’s message of love of neighbour, they should “go on making even greater progress” within their community. Second, Paul urges that they concern themselves with their own affairs, each labouring faithfully to earn his own living and all presenting a good example to the outside world.

Having warned them about sexual abuses (‘loving’ in the wrong way), Paul now goes on to speak about true love for each other. ‘Brotherly love’ (Greek, philadelphia) was originally used to speak of siblings of the same parent. But in the New Testament it always means love of fellow-believers in Christ, all of whom have the same heavenly Father. Paul feels there is really no need to write to them about this, because they have already learnt that lesson from God. Not only that, this is the way they have been dealing with their brothers and sisters in Christ all over Macedonia (of which Thessalonica was the capital city). But again as before, he suggests there is room for improvement.

He cites a few areas:

They should make a point of living quietly and at peace with each other.
They should attend to their own affairs and not meddle in those of others.
They should earn their own living, working with their hands, as Paul had taught them.

The Greeks in general thought that manual labour was degrading and fit only for slaves, but the Christians took seriously the need for earning their own living. However, some of the Thessalonians, perhaps as a result of their belief in the imminent return of Christ, were neglecting work and relying on others to support them (see 2 Thess 3:11). And these same people, with nothing to do, were perhaps urging others to join them. Paul says they should keep their ideas to themselves and not interfere with people who are trying to make a living in a normal way.

If they live as Paul suggests, the Thessalonian Christians will earn the respect of outsiders and not be dependent on others, because they are taking care of their own needs. On the other hand, Christians in need because of their idleness are not true Christians.

Trust in God is all very well, but we are also expected to use the gifts he has given us. Today’s Gospel speaks of how three people used the talents God gave them.

There is a saying, attributed to St Ignatius Loyola, which fits this:

Pray as if everything depended on God and nothing on you; and do all things as if everything depended on you and nothing on God.

Friday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – Gospel

Commentary on Matthew 25:1-13

The second chapter of the Eschatological Discourse consists of three long parables, all of which are familiar to us. They have the common theme of preparation for the final coming of the Lord, whenever that will be.

Today’s reading is the parable about the wise and foolish bridesmaids. The story likely reflects common wedding customs of the time. The bridesmaids who attend on the bride are waiting for the bridegroom to come. The time of his arrival is not known. Perhaps, at that time, it was his way of asserting his male authority from the very beginning of their marriage.

In the story there are 10 bridesmaids altogether. Of these we are told five were “wise” and the others were “foolish”. The “wise” young women all brought an extra supply of oil with them while the “foolish” ones only had their lamps. The lamps consisted of oil-soaked rags at the top of a pole and needed to have oil added every 15 minutes or so.

The bridegroom was long in coming. The implication is that he was taking much longer than expected. In fact, he was so long in coming that the bridesmaids all fell asleep. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, the call went up:

Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.

Immediately the young women got ready and trimmed their torches. The charred edges had to be cut away and the rags soaked in more oil. The foolish ones immediately realised they were running out of oil. They ask their companions to share some of their oil. These refused on the grounds that there was not enough to go round and none of them would have enough. The foolish ones were told to go off and buy some more for themselves.

However, while they were still away, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went into the marriage celebration with him and the doors were shut. When the foolish bridesmaids finally arrived with their new supply of oil, they found the doors closed in their face. They cried out:

Lord, lord, open to us.

But the bridegroom answered:

Truly I tell you, I do not know you.

Again this is a parable warning us all to be ready when the Lord comes. In the early Church, he had at first been expected to come in the very lifetime of the early Christians. This belief is reflected in the First Letter to the Thessalonians (read during the weekdays of the Cycle 1 First Readings), which is the earliest writing of the New Testament.

But Jesus did not come and, by the time Matthew’s Gospel appeared, people were beginning to realise that his coming could be in a more distant future. It is in this context that today’s parable gives a warning. If the Lord was not going to come soon, then some people might begin to take things easy and become lax in their living of the gospel. Today’s passage suggests that that is not a very wise way of behaving.

The bridegroom may not have come when expected, but he did come. And, when he came, half of the group were not ready. In other places, Jesus has warned that the:

..day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matt 24:36)

Because:

the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
(1 Thess 5: 2)

The only policy is constant readiness. If we are not ready and he does come, then we may find the doors closed and hear what are perhaps the most chilling words in the whole Gospel:

…I do not know you.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus says that, as the Shepherd, he knows his sheep and they know him. Not to be known by Jesus means to have broken our relationship with him through sinful and loveless behaviour. To be in that state when he comes is truly tragic. The choice is ours, as we have been given adequate warning.

While the Gospel is speaking about the final or eschatological coming of Jesus as King and Lord, it would be very complacent of us to think that there are no signs of its happening in the near future. That would put us in the same category as the foolish bridesmaids! While the final coming may still be far off, our own rendezvous with the Lord can be at any time. For all practical purposes, that is the time for which we must be prepared.

Our news media is full of reports of lives being cut short by accident, illness or violence. Any of us could be one of those victims, young and in perfect health with a whole life before us. But the Lord calls when he calls.

Will I have ‘oil in my lamp’? That is, what would I be able to show the Lord in terms of gospel-centred living? Maybe we think the “wise” young women in the story were selfish not to have shared their oil, but there are some things which we have to bring to the Lord on our own. We cannot borrow the good life that someone else has led. It has to be totally ours.

Clearly, the best way to prepare is not to think anxiously of the future, but to concentrate on the here and now. Let us learn to live totally in the present, to seek and find God there. If we can do that, then all the rest will take care of itself. And, whether the Groom arrives early or late, it will not matter. Because he has been constantly part of our everyday lives. And, apart from the insurance that it gives, is it not by far the best way to spend our days?

Monday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – First Reading

Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5,8-10

We have been reading from the Old Testament for the past nine weeks. We began with the 12th chapter of the book of Genesis and went through selected passages from each of the first eight books of the Bible in order: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and Ruth.

Today we go back to the New Testament and we begin with readings from the first letter of Paul to the Christians of Thessalonica, in Macedonia, northern Greece. The letters of Paul (and those attributed to him) are not presented in our New Testament in the order in which they were written. They have been listed according to their length, so the letter to the Romans, being the longest, is placed first and the short letter to Philemon is last.

The first letter to the Thessalonians, although well down the list, is actually the earliest letter of Paul’s that we have. It seems to have been written from the city of Corinth, in Achaia, in southern Greece. It was written about the year 51 AD, i.e. just a little over 20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. This makes it also the earliest of the 27 books of the whole New Testament. It was written, as were all the Pauline letters, well before the first gospel. This makes it a work of considerable significance. Twenty years, in many ways, was a much shorter period in those days than now because society changed much more slowly and, in a 20-year period, would hardly have changed at all. Nevertheless, as we read through this letter we see how well developed the Christian message already is.

The ideas contained here were, for the Christians who read them, part of the Gospel message, i.e. the ‘Good News’ about God which came to us through Jesus Christ. Note that Paul uses the word “gospel” (euangelion, meaning good news) in today’s passage, although Mark, Matthew, Luke and John—as we know them—would not begin to appear for another 20 years.

The New International Version Study Bible gives this introduction to the city of Thessalonica:

Thessalonica was a bustling seaport city at the head of the Thermaic Gulf. It was an important communication and trade centre, located at the junction of the great Egnatian Way and the road leading north to the Danube. Its population numbered about 200,000, making it the largest city in Macedonia. It was also the capital of its province. The background of the Thessalonian church is found in Acts 17:1-9. Since Paul began his ministry there in the Jewish synagogue, it is reasonable to assume that the new church included some Jews. However, 1:9-10 and Acts 17:4 seem to indicate that the church was largely Gentile in membership…Paul’s purpose in writing this letter was to encourage the new converts in their trials (3:3-5), to give instruction concerning godly living (4:1-8), to urge some not to neglect daily work (4:11-12) and to give assurance concerning the future of believers who die before Christ returns…the subject of eschatology seems to be predominant in both Thessalonian letters. Every chapter of 1 Thessalonians ends with a reference to the Second Coming of Christ, with chapter 4 giving it major consideration…The two letters are often designated as the eschatological letters of Paul. (edited)

Today’s reading is summarised by the New American Bible as follows:

“Paul expresses his satisfaction that the three principal Christian characteristics—faith, hope and love—are at work in the Thessalonian community. Unhesitatingly, he places its members among those specially beloved and chosen by God. He recalls that his preaching of the Gospel to them was not received as a mere intellectual exercise, but had made a strong actual impact on their lives which not even the opposition of unbelievers could dispel. Their faith has been an inspiration to Christians elsewhere, who have been impressed especially by the Thessalonians’ complete abandonment of idolatry for the worship of the true God, and by their profound orientation toward the Second Coming of Jesus.”

The letter begins, as usual, with greetings from Paul—together with Silvanus and Timothy—to the local Christians for whom he is writing. He assures the Thessalonians that they are constantly in his prayers and those of his companions. There then comes a typical Pauline blessing:

We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

In today’s reading the very core of Christianity is expressed. We see the centrality of the Trinitarian relationship between the Father and Christ and the Spirit, as well as the vital elements of faith, hope and love. The previous verse describing the triad of faith, hope and love is found frequently throughout the New Testament. As such:

Real faith results in action:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works?…faith without works is also dead. (James 2:14,26)

Christian hope is not mere wishful thinking, but firm confidence in Jesus Christ and his promises of a life that never ends.

I am the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6)

Unsparing love imitates that of Jesus, who said that the greatest love anyone could show was to give one’s life for one’s friends.

For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

He addresses them as “brothers and sisters beloved by God”. They are all united to each other as children of one Father and brothers and sisters of his Son.

The term ‘brothers’ is used by Paul 28 times in the two Thessalonian letters. “The gospel”, that is, the gospel proclaimed by Paul, Silas and Timothy, is a gospel they themselves had received by faith and passed on. It ultimately comes from God the Father and then through Christ to his followers and beyond. It is not mere hollow-sounding words. It is filled with power and, once assimilated, can have a transforming effect on one’s whole life.

This was its effect on the Thessalonian Christians. And anyone who proclaims the Christian message through the words of Scripture knows that there is a power there that goes far beyond any human eloquence.

…you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.

The example of Paul’s own life and that of his companions was a kind of living gospel, which also had its influence on them. They lived this life, not to draw attention to themselves, but to lead the Christians to the following of Jesus’ Way:

…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
(Matt 5:16)

Paul then congratulates the Thessalonians on the quality of their faith whose reputation has spread far and wide not only to Macedonia, of which Thessalonica is the capital, and to Achaia in the south where Corinth was situated, but everywhere:

…For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you…

So effective has been their influence that Paul has hardly to speak about it himself.

One reason why the Thessalonian example became so widespread was because the city lay on the important Egnatian Way (Via Egnatiana). Apart from that, it was a busy seaport and the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia.

People in other places are telling about how Paul began his work with the Thessalonians, how they turned away from false gods and came to serve the living and true God and are now waiting for the return of Jesus, his Son.

Here we have three marks of true conversion:

turning from idols (of all kinds);
serving God; and
waiting for Christ to return.

In his two short letters to the Thessalonians, Paul speaks much of the second coming of Christ. In this early period of Christianity, this was a major preoccupation for Christians. As the years passed and there was no sign of the Second Coming and people were dying off before it happened, the conviction of an imminent coming waned and the focus switched to spending a long life in the service of the gospel.

Right now, though, they are waiting for the One who will save them from the Retribution, the Day of Reckoning, that is to come. We have in these last two sentences of the reading two main elements of the Good News as preached by Paul: a vigorous emphasis on monotheism and a Christology stressing the coming of the Risen Lord.

We might ask ourselves, if Paul were writing to the Christian community in which we live—our diocese or our parish—what do we think he might want to say by way of praise or criticism? What should we be developing further and what should we be correcting or abandoning? And how much of what he might say could apply to me personally?

Friday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – First Reading

Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

The latter part of Paul’s letters usually includes some practical exhortations to the particular church to which he is writing. Here, he tells the Thessalonians that to conserve their holiness they are to recall what the apostle taught them in the name of Christ at the time of their conversion.

Specifically, all forms of sexual misconduct are to be avoided, in consideration of the truth that God sanctifies his faithful by the presence of the Holy Spirit in them. He begins by making his appeal and exhortation in the name of the Lord:

…we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus…

He does not talk to them arrogantly, but does speak with authority in the Lord Jesus.

When he was with them he had instructed them on how to live in ways that please God and he is happy that they are so doing, but he urges them to make even more progress in the way of the Lord. Paul uses this metaphor often of the Christian way. It points to steady progress in a forward direction. They are well aware of the instructions Paul and his companions gave on the authority of the Lord Jesus.

The word ‘instructions’ is used of authoritative commands and has a military ring. God wants all of the Thessalonians to be holy. ‘Holiness’, as we saw yesterday, means ‘set apart’ (Greek, hagios), being different from other people who live according to different standards. It is identifying with God’s will, which comes to us through Christ and makes us holy. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. But taking the English root, ‘holiness’ is related to ‘wholeness’. The ‘holy’ person is a ‘whole’ person, in which every part speaks of unity and harmony with God, with those around one, with the environment and with oneself.

Paul then spells out a particular area of being holy with which he is concerned. He exhorts the Christians to sexual integrity and self-restraint. The implication is that, from what Timothy has told him, there are some problems in this area. Therefore, he wants them to keep away from all sexual immorality and each of them to guard their body in a way which is holy and honourable. This can refer either to a man’s own body or that of his wife, as in several rabbinic texts. For a married man to have sex with another person is to violate his wife. Paul’s doctrine on moral behaviour, which is based on the earliest Christian teaching, invests ordinary day-to-day life with a new depth: it has the seal of Christ on it.

In the first century AD moral standards were generally very low, and chastity was regarded as an unreasonable restriction, especially by men (but under the same standards of the time, married women were expected to remain faithful to their husbands; unmarried women to be virgins before marriage). Paul, however, would not compromise on God’s clear and demanding standards. They are not to give way to:

…lustful passion, like the ‘gentiles who do not know God’…

The warning was needed, for Christians clearly were not immune to temptation in a hedonistic environment.

Unrestricted sexual activity is to use others for one’s pleasure and totally in conflict with the commandment to love others and to respect their dignity and personal integrity. It is to degrade the dignity of one’s own body and that of others. So Paul says that no one should ever sin by taking advantage of a brother or sister in such matters, because the Lord always “pays back” sins of that kind, as Paul had emphatically stated in the past.

Sexual sin harms others besides those who engage in it. For example, in adultery, the spouse is always wronged. The Lord’s ‘vengeance’ is in the price that one pays for betraying one’s own integrity and the dignity of the other person. God punishes such behaviour insofar as it carries its own punishment. Such behaviour can never bring happiness and, at its worst, can result in debauchery, injury, disease, and death. This is so evident in the rampant spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

On the contrary, God has called all to be holy and not immoral. And anyone who rejects this teaching is rejecting not human authority, but God who gives us his Holy Spirit.

The prophet Ezekiel foretold that the Spirit would be given to the messianic people. This reference draws attention to the continuity between the church of Thessalonica and the giving of this gift to the early Christian community on the day of Pentecost.

And here is still another reason for chastity: sexual sin is against God, who gives the Holy Spirit to believers for their sanctification. It is a kind of sacrilege where not only the object of sexual desire, but the Spirit within that person is violated.

We live in a world rampant with sexual licence and it is easy to be affected by it. Love and affection and some form of expressing our sexuality are important in everyone’s life, but it must never be done at the expense of one’s own integrity or the integrity of another person. We do not make our human values; we recognise and acknowledge them as coming from a source beyond ourselves.

Tuesday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – First Reading

Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

Although Paul in yesterday’s reading praised the Thessalonians for the depth of their faith whose reputation had spread far and wide, he recalls today some of the difficulties he faced at first in bringing the gospel message to the city.

Paul had experienced such great opposition in Thessalonica that he and Silas had to be secretly escorted from the city (Acts 17:1-10). This came on top of the humiliating experiences he had in Philippi where he and Silas were, as a result of false accusations, arrested, flogged and thrown into prison (from which they were rescued by an earthquake!). It is probably the memory of these experiences which underlies his words today recalling his selflessness in preaching the gospel to them, his affection for them, and the pleasant relationships he has with them now.

He begins by saying that they themselves know his visit to the Thessalonians has not been without effect. The local church could refute accusations of insincerity which seem to have been levelled against Paul by certain hostile elements. In spite of the terrible abuse, including imprisonment, which he and Silas endured at Philippi, God still gave them the courage to preach the gospel fearlessly to the Thessalonians, even though they met with opposition there also.

When they first arrived, Paul made some converts among the Jews and a larger number among the Greeks, but his activities aroused the anger and indignation of many Jews, who did not like Paul presenting Jesus as the Messiah. These stirred up a riot in the city. The result was that Jason, a supporter of Paul, and his family were seized, while Paul and his companion Silas had to be hurriedly taken away to another town.

Paul now assures the Thessalonians that his exhortations do not come from any deceit or impure motives or trickery. The Greek word for ‘trickery’ was originally used of bait for catching fish and came to be used of any sort of cunning used for personal gain.

On the contrary, Paul and companions have God’s approval to be entrusted with the proclamation of the gospel and that is the basis of their preaching—to please God and not human beings. For it is God who “tests our hearts”. In fact, they have never been motivated either by a desire to be flattered or for personal gain. They have never sought any special honours either from the Thessalonians or anyone else, even though they could have insisted on their own dignity and prestige as apostles and messengers of Christ, or that materially they could have expected to have been fed and kept at the Thessalonians’ expense. Although Paul strongly believed that those preaching the gospel had the right to be supported by the communities they visited, he himself preferred to be self-supporting.

On the contrary, he says that they live a simple life and their concern is only those they serve:

So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

At the same time, he and his co-workers are treating the Thessalonians with the greatest gentleness:

But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children.

What is always so striking is how Paul can see the hand of Christ in all that happens to him and his sheer unstoppable enthusiasm in sharing the gospel message with others, whatever the obstacles. This was because the message was not just something he was handing on; it had entered the very fibre of his being. As he will say elsewhere:

…it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)

Would that each one of us could say the same! We cannot be preachers of the gospel until it is fully absorbed into our very selves. It cannot be just a set of doctrines which we hold to be true. We need the burning enthusiasm of Paul.

Tuesday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – Gospel

Commentary on Matthew 23:23-26

We continue our reading of the ‘Seven Woes’ listed in the commentary from Monday of Week 21. Today’s reading contains the fourth and fifth ‘woes’.

4. …you tithe mint, dill and cumin… (vv 23-24)

In continuing his attack on Pharisaism, Jesus touches on two issues which are certainly relevant to our Christian living today. First, he attacks the mentality of those who are sticklers for tiny details of ritual or doctrine while ignoring the fundamental issues of justice, compassion and good faith. The Mosaic Law levied a tithe on agricultural produce. Some rabbis scrupulously applied the law to the most insignificant of plants.

A strict Pharisee too would carefully filter his drinking water in case he might swallow a small insect, which would be regarded as unclean. But in being so careful of such minutiae, he might well overlook matters of much deeper importance. Jesus is not criticising a conscientious carrying out of rules and regulations, but it is the attitude of hypocritical moral superiority which he attacks.

One can meet Catholics too who tie themselves in knots trying to observe the most petty regulations and can end up becoming the prisoner of scruples. What is more, they can be highly critical of others whom they regard as ‘lax’. An example might be people who are more worried about not having observed a full 60 minutes of fast before Communion than focusing on what the wider implications of participating in the Eucharist really mean.

5. …you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate… (vv 25-26)

The second point that Jesus makes is to criticise those who concentrate on the tiniest details of external behaviour while totally ignoring the inner spirit. There are certain Christians who speak and write at length about all the things that are not being done right in the liturgy of the Catholic Church, and who claim for themselves a level of doctrinal and moral orthodoxy to which even Rome does not attain. Sometimes even the Pope does not come up to their expectations.

What is striking about these people is the almost total absence of a sense of love and compassion in their writings and actions. They are only interested in ‘truth’ and ‘orthodoxy’, as if these things could exist outside of the nitty-gritty of human living. They can be more concerned about the tiniest rubrical details of the liturgy than about the Eucharist as truly a sacrament of a loving community prayerfully centred on the Person of Christ.

On the outside, the behaviour is impeccable, but inside there is a total lack of a true gospel spirit—the spirit of love and integrity, of compassion and a sense of justice for all. Instead, there can be a heart full of self-righteousness, criticism, anger, resentment or contempt for those who do not think the same, all cloaked in this outer veneer of moral and ritual rectitude.

The two attitudes are closely related and all of us can be touched by them in one degree or another. Let him or her who has never criticised another fellow-Christian cast the first stone!

Wednesday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – First Reading

Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13

Paul defends his behaviour with the Thessalonians where he had been treated very badly by a group of people. He reminds them of how he and his fellow evangelisers used to work night and day so as not to be a burden on them while they preached the gospel among them.

We know that, wherever he could, Paul supported himself and was not ashamed to be known by his trade—a tentmaker. As he said in yesterday’s reading, he never insisted on what he believed were his rights as an evangeliser. The Greeks tended to despise manual labour and viewed it as fit only for slaves, but Paul was not ashamed of doing any sort of work that would help further the gospel. He never wanted to be unnecessarily dependent on others.

The Thessalonians themselves have seen—as has God himself—how Paul’s behaviour among them has always been impeccable and upright. Paul never hesitates to admit his weaknesses, but he also is not afraid to speak of his strengths and he does here (see also his strong self-defence in 2 Corinthians). He and his companions always treated the Thessalonians as a father would his children, urging them, encouraging them, and appealing to them to live a life worthy of the God who calls them to share his Kingdom and his glory. He is proud of the example he has set to others. It was a work combining both dedication and affection.

In calling them to share God’s Kingdom he is true to the core of Jesus’ teaching. ‘Kingdom’ is not a term Paul uses very often, but he did use it once to sum up the message of his teaching. This was during his address of farewell to the elders at Ephesus:

And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again. (Acts 20:25)

Now Paul continually thanks God for them, because as soon as they heard the word which Paul brought them as God’s message, they welcomed it for what it was—not the word of a mere human being (Paul), but God’s own word, a power that is now working among them as believers.

This perception has enabled them to be steadfast in the face of opposition. We have here, too, a brief summary of the apostolic tradition: the message is first ‘received’, or ‘heard’. It then penetrates the mind or heart, where it is welcomed, and proves that the hearer acknowledges God has been speaking through his missionary.

In all our Christian living we, too, need to be aware that our greatest impact is made not just by the words we speak, but also by the example of our lives—by the love and care and compassion that we show. And the real test of our Christian witness is not that people say how holy we are, but that they themselves are led to God.

Monday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – Gospel

Commentary on Matthew 23:13-22

We continue with the attack of Jesus on the mentality of the scribes and Pharisees. Keep in mind (as we mentioned last Saturday) that first, we are dealing more with a state of mind than a blanket condemnation of a whole group of people, and second, that the words are mainly to be heard as providing reflection for our own Christian communities and the way we behave.

Today and for the next two days we read of the seven ‘Woes’ that Jesus hurls against corrupt religious leaders. We have seen already how the number seven is a favourite of Matthew.

The Seven Woes are:

…you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. (v 13)
[and] …you devour widows’ houses…(v 14). (This verse is not included in some texts.)
…you cross sea and land to make a single convert…(v 15)
…you, blind guides who say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing…’ (vv 16-22)
…you tithe mint, dill, and cumin…(vv 23-24)
…you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate…(vv 25-26)
…you are like whitewashed tombs…(vv 27-28)
…you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous…(vv 29-32)

Today we read the first three Woes.

1. …you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven…(v 13) and (not included in some texts) …you devour widows’ houses…(v 14).

Jesus accuses the leaders of closing the entrance to the Kingdom, thus preventing others from going in and not going in themselves either. On the one hand, this can be a reference to their rejection of Jesus who was himself the embodiment of the Kingdom, was preaching the Kingdom and who, by his presence, had made the Kingdom accessible to all who came to him. On the other hand, it can also mean that they made the observance of the Law impossibly difficult by their complex interpretations of what was and was not allowed.

Whether we are parents, or teachers, or priests or religious, we can also by our behaviour both block people’s access to Jesus and be far from him ourselves.

Included here is verse 14, left out of some texts, where Jesus accuses the Pharisees of saying long prayers, but not hesitating to take money (for the Temple, of course) from widows, the poorest of the poor. Considering that widows were among the most destitute and insecure of people in Jewish society, this was exploitation of the most base kind. A comparison in our own day would be with the ways in which some “televangelists” were known to extract money from poor and gullible people who should be receiving rather than giving.

2. …you cross sea and land to make a single convert…(v 15)

While the religious leaders try to prevent people from approaching Jesus, they themselves zealously go to great lengths to make even a single convert, only to make that person even worse than themselves. They do this by corrupting them with false ideas of what true religion is. They fill them with ideas about ritual purification and thus create a false sense of security about what really brings about salvation. At this time, Jewish proselytisation was very active in the Greek and Roman world. Parallels can be found in our own days among Christian groups.

3. …you, blind guides who say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing’…(vv 16-22)

Here Jesus’ attack is directed at the leaders’ greed and their corruption of religion for material gain. They persuade people to swear by the gold of the Temple and make them pay. People are told not to swear by the altar, but by the gift they have put there. Which is more holy, Jesus asks, the Temple or the gold which the Temple makes holy, the altar or the gift which the altar sanctifies? Again, in the name of holiness, the Pharisee-types are exploiting the poor.

Sadly, today we also see abuse of authority and power—whether in the Church, in government, in business or other arenas—leading to all kinds of greed and corruption which undermine the very fabric of societies. Positions of service are turned into instruments of personal gain, often at the expense of the weakest and the most needy. Countries which long ago should have become rich and prosperous and provided a high quality of life for their people are bankrupt, in every sense of the word, while a small elite live lives of shameless luxury.

The Church, too, can find itself over-concerned with matters of money at the expense of its pastoral mission. A diocese, a parish, a bishop or priest who is rich while living in a world of poverty and need is a major stumbling block to the hearing of the Gospel.

Sacred Space

Pages

Background Music

Fade Speed

Text Size