August 25 2008
Monday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
By Beth DeCristofaro
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. (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4)
Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. (Psalm 96: 2-4)
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. (Matthew 23:13)
Piety
Thank you, God, for opportunities to know you through people like the Thessalonians, great teachers such as Paul and most especially your Son, my brother, Jesus. May I use the gifts you have given to me for your glory. May I celebrate your marvelous deeds everyday.
Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/082508.shtml
Rather a bad moment for those scribes and Pharisees. Jesus points out how they are trying to be gods themselves. They use the Law as thrones on which they can lord it over others. They make use of an ancient code as if they know God's mind and as if the Law proves that they do the perfect thing. They have locked God away even from themselves in doing so.
Contrast this with Paul's desire to "boast" of the faith and endurance of the Thessalonians. This community seems to understand how to let their light shine so that
God's glory is abundantly evident to all and life-giving to themselves. It is ironic that the Thessalonians are being persecuted while the scribes and Pharisees are the community's fat cats. God is with those who unlock the Kingdom within themselves and share it with others no matter the life situation.
In early August, Pope Benedict met with local clergy in Bressanone (Northern Italy) during his holidays. National Catholic Reporter columnist John Allen wrote of this gathering. The pope's take on evangelism speaks to Paul's enthusiasm for the Thessalonian's faith practices and contrasts with what the Scribes and Pharisees inflicted on others. "A seminarian named Michael Horrer, who had followed Benedict XVI to Australia for World Youth Day, asked the pope how to 'exercise our mission as witnesses of Christ' back home among families, friends, and acquaintances. In the first place, Benedict urged renewed commitment to the spiritual basics -- prayer, meditation on Scripture, the Eucharist, and the Sacrament of Penance. Beyond that, the pope didn't dwell on specific evangelization strategies, but instead recommended the cultivation of simple human virtues. He offered several examples: 'Honesty, joy, openness to listening to one's neighbor, the capacity to forgive, generosity, goodness, [and] cordiality.' Such qualities, Benedict said, "are indicative of the fact that faith is truly present," and often represent the best form of witness." http://ncrcafe.org/node/2051
Action
Such virtues are also what we cultivate in Team formation. Do we cultivate them in our day to day activities? Consciously practice honesty, joy, openness to listening, forgiveness, generosity, goodness, cordiality, endurance and faith today. Keep the babe chicks and team who experienced these evangelizing values this weekend in your prayers. Let God's presence be know through your celebration of God's glory and as you build the Kingdom.
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