Most of the time, our first readings come from the Hebrew
Scriptures, but today we hear from Paul’s first letter to the
Thessalonians. Sometimes the thoughts
contained in Paul’s letters might seem to be a bit disjointed, covering many
different topics, but today’s letter contains some thoughts that could edify us
and encourage us along our own journeys of faith. Paul explains to the Thessalonians that he and
his cohorts brought them the Gospel not to please man, but rather to please
God. And not only did they share the
Gospel with them, but they shared themselves as well.
That’s important
for us to remember. The Gospel is not
some academic theory that we learn in the abstract apart from what is going on
in our lives. The Gospel enters into our
reality and transforms us, it is passed down to us by our family and by members
of our community of faith. I know that
all of us can think of the people who have passed down the faith to us, who
have touched our hearts and transformed our lives, which is what the Gospel of
Jesus Christ is all about. Recently, I wrote one of my favorite high school teachers,
Mrs. Barbara Johannes, telling her the influence she had on me when I was a
student, how I remembered the devotion with which she lived out her Catholic
faith and shared her faith with her students in so many ways. Sharing ourselves with others can make a
difference in ways we could not even imagine.
Today we have the
example of Paul, of how he and his associates changed the face of Christianity
and brought the Gospel to many people, to the people of Thessalonica and to
many other Gentiles who had not previously known the Lord. May we give thanks today to all those who passed
down the faith to us. And may that
inspire us to help pass down that faith to others as well.
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