Thank God for Others and Pray for them!

 

21th week Monday in Ordinary Time

Year One

1 Thess 1:2-5,8-10

Thank God for Others and Pray for them!

 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 labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  For we know, brothers and sisters[a] 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; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.( 1 Thess 1:2-5).

We are happy to see a vibrant Christian community of faith, hope, love and prayer. This is a gift of God. The grace is because of the Holy Spirit. By ourselves, we can achieve in anything very little, but by the grace of the holy spirit, we do achieve much in the Lord. All the above graces and gifts will bear much fruit in the community of people if the leaders themselves are of good example.  Today, the world does not need intelligent and eloquent preachers, but it needs witnesses and people who set a good example in living out the message of the Lord. St Paul and his followers were able to lead the people by word and example. Let us live a life of values and witness, and that is equal to preaching, teaching, and proclaiming.

Are we able to set an example to the young in faith?

Year Two

2 Thess 1:1-5,11-12

Thank God for Others and Pray for them!

 St Paul thanks God for the brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because they were growing in faith more and more. The love they have for one another is on the increase. Therefore, there is perseverance and faith among God's churches in all the persecutions and trials and the people God are enduring. As a result, they are counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which they are suffering.

St Paul prays for them so that they may be worthy of their calling, and they may live fruitful lives prompted by faith. St Paul promises further his prayers so their lives may be glorified in Christ Jesus. It is not only appreciation, which is important for the good of faith, but it is equally important to pray for those whom we love and wish their good. Prayer does wonders in one’s life and in the lives of others.

Do we pray for others' good?

Mt 23:13-22 

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. (Mt 23:13-15).

Jesus calls the Pharisees and Scribes hypocrites. Jesus was bold enough to call them hypocrites. Hypocrites are people who say one thing and do something else; one rule for them and another rule for others, their words and lives do not match. They know they are at fault, but they cannot come out of their evil and manipulation. So, Jesus rightly challenges them, challenges them to mend their ways.   It happens in life that we sometimes become hypocrites. We live double lives, and there is a dichotomy in our lives. We know what is right and good, yet we do what is evil. Whatever may be the situation, people are at times hypocrites. The way to overcome our hypocrisy is to follow the teachings of Jesus.

Am I living an integrated life?

St Louis

 Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb

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