Monday, August 22, 2011

8/25/2011 – Homily for Thursday of 21st week of ordinary time – 1 Thessalonians 3: 7-13


       Today, we hear an excerpt from Paul’s first letter to the Church at Thessalonica.  Paul was worried that this community he founded had turned its back on him and had started to abandon the faith.  He sent Timothy to this community to check on them and to report back to him.  In this part of the letter that we hear today, Paul offers the Thessalonians encouragement, telling them that he is praying for them day and night, that he longs to see them in person once again.
         We, too, need encouragement in our journey of faith.  Sometimes the road can be very rocky.  Sometimes it seems like we are just trying to make it from one day to the next.  Just as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, there are many people praying for us as well.  And we have the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the community of saints uniting their prayers with ours along this journey of faith.
         I remember one of the prisoners I minister to told me that he had a bad nightmare that really terrified him one night.  He woke up very panicked, but then he looked down at his hand and he saw a glow-in-the dark rosary that I had given him glowing in the midst of the dark night.  It gave him encouragement and he saw it as a reassurance of faith.
         There can be little signs we get along the way that can help us and that can give us encouragement.  No matter what, we need to rest assured that we are never alone, that we have others that are helping us along our journey. 

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