Reading 1 2 Thess 2:1-3a, 14-17
with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling with him,
not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly,
or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement,
or by a letter allegedly from us
to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.
Let no one deceive you in any way.
To this end he has also called you through our Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm
and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught,
either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement
and good hope through his grace,
encourage your hearts and strengthen them
in every good deed and word.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:10, 11-12, 13
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Alleluia Heb 4:12
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mt 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 PEACE OF THE LORD
The Lord "has made the world firm, not to be moved." –Psalm 96:10
Satan tries to disturb the peace. He wants everything in an uproar. He specializes in chaos. However, "God is a God, not of confusion, but of peace" (1 Cor 14:33). He is "happy to see good order among" us and the firmness of our faith in Christ (Col 2:5). We should not let anything agitate or terrify us – even rumors about the end of the world (2 Thes 2:2). What if "the consummation of all is close at hand" (see 1 Pt 4:7)? We should still not be perturbed. Rather, we should remain calm so that we will be able to pray (1 Pt 4:7).
Our lives are founded on the rock of faith in Jesus and obedience to His Word (Mt 7:24). "The Lord is my life's Refuge; of whom should I be afraid?" (Ps 27:1) "Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust" (Ps 27:3). As Jesus slept in the midst of a storm (Mt 8:25), so can we. We have a peace beyond understanding (Phil 4:7). We are "able to lead undisturbed and tranquil lives in perfect piety and dignity" (1 Tm 2:2). When the devil tries to pressure, manipulate, and stampede us, we can say: "I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother's lap, so is my soul within me" (Ps 131:2). "The peace of the Lord be with you always."
| PRAYER: | Father, console our "hearts and strengthen them for every good work and word" (2 Thes 2:17). |
| PROMISE: | "He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with His constancy." –Ps 96:13 |
| PRAISE: | St. Rose stilled her heart by being a daily communicant and by spending long hours in prayer. She found peace in her prayerful relationship with the Lord. |
No comments:
Post a Comment