Love and Labour

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to consider the nature of the “Work of Faith” in our relationships with the people with whom we journey in life.

Work of Faith

The Reading from the First Letter to the Thessalonians is a Thanksgiving for Their Faith by Paul.

* [1:3] Faith…love…hope: this, along with 1 Thes 5:8, is the earliest mention in Christian literature of the three “theological virtues” (see 1 Cor 13:13). The order here stresses eschatological hope, in line with the letter’s emphasis on the Lord’s second, triumphal coming, or parousia (1 Thes 1:10; 2:12, 19; 3:13; 4:13–5:11; 5:23). (1 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 149 celebrates God in song and festive dance.

* [Psalm 149] A hymn inviting the people of Israel to celebrate their God in song and festive dance (Ps 149:1–3, 5) because God has chosen them and given them victory (Ps 149:4). The exodus and conquest are the defining acts of Israel; the people must be ready to do again those acts in the future at the divine command (Ps 149:6–9). (Psalms, PSALM 149 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew continues Denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees.

 [23:13] You lock the kingdom of heaven: cf. Mt 16:19 where Jesus tells Peter that he will give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The purpose of the authority expressed by that metaphor is to give entrance into the kingdom (the kingdom is closed only to those who reject the authority); here the charge is made that the authority of the scribes and Pharisees is exercised in such a way as to be an obstacle to entrance. Cf. Lk 11:52 where the accusation against the “scholars of the law” (Matthew’s scribes) is that they “have taken away the key of knowledge.”

* [23:14] Some manuscripts add a verse here or after Mt 23:12, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. Because of this, you will receive a very severe condemnation.” Cf. Mk 12:40; Lk 20:47. This “woe” is almost identical with Mk 12:40 and seems to be an interpolation derived from that text.

* [23:15] In the first century A.D. until the First Jewish Revolt against Rome (A.D. 66–70), many Pharisees conducted a vigorous missionary campaign among Gentiles. Convert: literally, “proselyte,” a Gentile who accepted Judaism fully by submitting to circumcision and all other requirements of Mosaic law. Child of Gehenna: worthy of everlasting punishment; for Gehenna, see note on Mt 5:22. Twice as much as yourselves: possibly this refers simply to the zeal of the convert, surpassing that of the one who converted him.

* [23:16–22] An attack on the casuistry that declared some oaths binding (one is obligated) and others not (it means nothing) and held the binding oath to be the one made by something of lesser value (the gold; the gift on the altar). Such teaching, which inverts the order of values, reveals the teachers to be blind guides; cf. Mt 15:14. Since the Matthean Jesus forbids all oaths to his disciples (Mt 5:33–37), this woe does not set up a standard for Christian moral conduct, but ridicules the Pharisees on their own terms. (Matthew, CHAPTER 23 | USCCB, n.d.)

Nancy Shirley comments that neither gold nor gifts bring us closer to God – our desire to love Him and embrace our roles as loved and loving children of God is the essential part of our being.

I still remember my awe when I sat in the Basilica of St Peter in Rome over 50 years ago and the beautiful sense of presence of something very sacred.

However, it is not unlike the feeling I get at St. John’s on Creighton’s campus particularly on an afternoon with the sun coming through the stained glass and no one else is in the church or the simple chapel in Santiago on the ILAC campus.  God is with us in the gold and splendor and in the simplistic. The “altar” or “temple” is not necessarily a physical place rather a sacred place where we find God – it can be anywhere and IS everywhere! (Shirley, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “Shutting the Kingdom of Heaven,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"There are those who dare to say that God is not good because of the curses in his law that he places against their sin. And yet the one who is truly the Son of God who gave that same law is also the same one who put blessings into the law. The same God who provides blessings for those who are saved in a similar way applies curses which he placed in the law against sinners. 'Woe,' he says. Woe to you and to those hearing these things who plead the God of the law and yet do not understand that these words were spoken by God in a kindly way. So we understand why Jesus said, 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees.' They believe that it is in fact a good thing to pronounce these curses against sinners. They consider the arrangement of the law's curses to be a part of God's design. The chiding father frequently urges his advice on his son for his improvement - advice that may seem to be a curse. He does not wish the curses to be actualized, however, but rather he desires to avert him from even more such curses." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8-10 comments that Paul’s letters also reveal the heart of a man who loved these new believers with the love of Christ.

They reveal a passionate, intelligent man who dedicated all of his talents to building up those believers’ faith and trust in the Lord. Read any one of his letters, and you’ll see how much Paul longed for them to know Jesus more and more deeply.

Keep this in mind in the coming days as we continue to journey through this letter. Remember that it is a personal message to dear friends in the Lord. Remember, also, that the Spirit can speak to you about Jesus as you ponder Paul’s words. In fact, try reading today’s passage as if Paul, now in heaven, is giving “thanks to God always” for you (1 Thessalonians 1:2). And join him in thanking God for all your brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Jesus, thank you for the witness of St. Paul—and for every person who has helped me grow closer to you!” (Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8-10, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Thessalonians is the earliest of Paul’s letters. Throughout Paul uses “we” not “I” and we know that Paul wrote it. It does not mention the “Holy Spirit” but the “Spirit of the Holy One” Paul gives thanks in an element added to normal Greek letters to a successful community and offers a correction too against feeling it is their work rather than God Three of the theological virtues are mentioned. “The work of Faith” underlines that a labour of love is never easy. He urges endurance through hope, asserting that in the end God will win. He  concedes missionaries they had to act in a certain way to make the message available in the language and customs of the region. The final author of Matthew is thought to be a converted Pharisee kicked out of the Temple. The Pharisees impose regulations but some are hypocrites. They swear upon gold and wealth and are not concerned with Temple and offering. Friar Jude reminds us that this portrait is a bit stilted with the negativity possibly connected to the expulsion from the Temple.

James Finley reflects on what he learned about interfaith friendships from Thomas Merton. Finley recalls how he sought Merton’s guidance in developing his own curiosity about Buddhism.

Merton would talk about the beauty of these religions, their analogies and similarities. When I would go see him for spiritual direction, I’d ask him to help me to go further. He never pushed it or anything, but I asked. He introduced me to the Dharma or Buddhist teaching, and it had a deep effect on me. The same with yoga. He practiced yoga and introduced me to it. A yoga monk came from India and we all went up to the front porch of Merton’s hermitage to practice asana—the postures—together. People were drawn to Merton, because they sensed the depth of awareness that he carried.  

Thomas Merton once said that if we want to study Buddhism, the answer is not to read a lot of books on Buddhism; it’s to meet a holy Buddhist instead. There’s an unmistakable quality of presence. And if someone tries to understand Christianity, they don’t need to read a lot of books on Christian theology. Philosopher Jacques Maritain, who came to visit Merton at the monastery once, said, “If there’s a place where Christ isn’t present, you go there. Christ will be present this way.” I think it is this transformative place of living from presence that allows us to resonate with others—meeting them in their presence, rather than through our ideas about them, or their ideas of us. (Finley, n.d.)

We ponder the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity and seek guidance of the Spirit in making them active in our environment.

References

Finley, J. (n.d.). Learning from Thomas Merton. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/learning-from-thomas-merton/ 

Matthew, CHAPTER 23 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/23?13 

Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8-10. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/?utm_content=buffer5c902&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

1 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1thessalonians/1?1 

Psalms, PSALM 149 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/149?1 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Do Not Close the Door to God's Kingdom. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=aug25 

Shirley, N. (2025, August 25). Daily Reflection August 25, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-25-2025 

Persevere in the Truth

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to prayer and contemplation as we seek direction from the Holy Spirit to persevere in faithfulness.

Persevere in our journey

The reading from the Third Letter of John urges support for co workers with the Truth.

* [3] The brothers: in this letter, the term may refer to Christians who have been missionaries and received hospitality from Gaius (3 Jn 5–6). Walk in the truth: the common Johannine term to describe Christian living; this description presents Gaius as following the teachings of the Presbyter in contrast to Diotrephes. (3 John, THE THIRD LETTER OF JOHN, n.d.)

Psalm 112 declares the blessings of the Righteous.

* [Psalm 112] An acrostic poem detailing the blessings received by those who remain close to God by obedience to the commandments. Among their blessings are children (Ps 112:2), wealth that enables them to be magnanimous (Ps 112:3, 5, 9), and virtue by which they encourage others (Ps 112:4). The just person is an affront to the wicked, whose hopes remain unfulfilled (Ps 112:10). The logic resembles Ps 1; 111. (Psalms, PSALM 112, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus teaches the parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge.

* [18:1–14] The particularly Lucan material in the travel narrative concludes with two parables on prayer. The first (Lk 18:1–8) teaches the disciples the need of persistent prayer so that they not fall victims to apostasy (Lk 18:8). (Luke, CHAPTER 18, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly comments that the faithful are active in their faith. They serve others, especially strangers. The faithful testify to their love of God before the Church. They delight in the commands of the Lord. They are generous, merciful, and just. They pray constantly. And most importantly, they support others who are faithful as co-workers in the truth.

Well, that is a lot of work  Faithfulness has us in church every Sunday professing our faith in the company of others.  It has us serving on the committees in the church that serve others.  It has us giving generously to support the work of the Lord through others.  Faithfulness has us studying the word of God. It has us doing a lot of praying. It has us working toward justice on this earth. And faithfulness has us standing by each other supporting each other in our faith journeys.  All of this is just a lot of work for those who are not called through the Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  They have not yet learned that for the faithful, it is a privilege and a joy for our faithfulness to be a light that shines through the darkness.  I pray today that we will all experience our faithfulness as blessedness and that we will all be a light in the darkness for someone. (Dilly, n.d.) 

Don Schwager quotes “Persistent prayer transforms iniquity and wickedness into mercy,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).

"How was that unjust judge immoral and wicked? How was the upright judge gracious and just? The first in his iniquity was not willing to vindicate the widow, and in his wickedness, he was not willing to put her mind at rest. The justice of God knows how to vindicate, and his grace discerns how to give life. The iniquity of this wicked judge was contrary to the justice of God, and the wickedness of this rebel was in opposition to the grace of the gentle One. His wickedness therefore was stubbornness, for it dared to go against the fear of God. His boldness was stubborn, for it refused the lowly person."

"These two were stubborn, but persistent prayer was even more stubborn. The persistence of the widow humiliated both the iniquity that was rebelling against God and the boldness that was behaving arrogantly towards human beings. She subjected them to her will, so that they might provide her with a vindication over her adversary. Persistence transformed these two bitter branches, and they bore sweet fruit that was against their nature. The iniquity of the judge brought about a righteous judgment and a just retribution for the falsely accused woman. His wickedness gave peace to the afflicted one, although iniquity does not know how to judge, and wickedness does not know how to give refreshment. Persistence forced these two evil and bitter branches to give good fruit against their nature. If we persist in prayer, we should be even more able to prevail on the grace and justice of God to give us fruit that agrees with their nature. Let justice vindicate us, and let grace refresh us. Accordingly, the fruit of justice is the just reward of the oppressed, while the giving of refreshment to the afflicted is the fruit of grace." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 16.16.6) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 18:1-8 comments that Jesus wants us to have the same kind of stubbornness when it comes to praying for our needs and the needs of the people around us. This doesn’t have to be especially dramatic either. It can be as simple as praying for a different intention before every meal. We can also pray while brushing our teeth, waiting for our morning coffee to brew, or standing in line at the grocery store. We could even add intercession to our morning commute or our daily exercise. The point is to be consistent and persistent. In the end, we will prevail. Remember, God is so much kinder than that unjust judge!

So keep knocking on his door. Keep bringing your needs to him. Then watch as he changes people’s lives—and your heart in the process.

“Here I am, Lord. Once again I bring my needs to you. O Lord, hear and answer!” (Meditation on Luke 18:1-8, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the instruction in 3 John to treat missionaries with respect. The parable of the widow and the judge recommends chutzpah in our prayer as modelled in the Hebrew Testament and the Psalms. Friar Jude reminds us to voice our needs to God who give us what we truly need.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter to the Nobel Committee in 1967 about Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hahn (1926–2022) who helped bring Buddhism and mindfulness to the West. “I do not personally know of anyone more worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize than this gentle monk from Vietnam. His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity.” Thich Nhat Hahn gives instructions for a meditation to dwell in the present moment.

We can recite these four lines silently as we breathe in and out:

Breathing in, I calm my body.

Breathing out, I smile.

Dwelling in the present moment,

I know this is a wonderful moment!

“Breathing in, I calm my body.” Reciting this line is like drinking a glass of cool lemonade on a hot day—you can feel the coolness permeate your body. . . .

“Breathing out, I smile.” You know a smile can relax hundreds of muscles in your

face. . . .

“Dwelling in the present moment.” While I sit here, I don’t think of anything else. I sit here, and I know exactly where I am.

“I know this is a wonderful moment.” It is a joy to sit, stable and at ease, and return to our breathing, our smiling, our true nature. Our appointment with life is in the present moment. (Rohr, 2022)

We invite the opportunities in our day to pause, breath and pray as we continue to follow the Spirit as workers in the vineyard of Christ.

References

Dilly, B. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/111222.html 

Luke, CHAPTER 18. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/18?1 

Meditation on Luke 18:1-8. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/11/12/532036/ 

Psalms, PSALM 112. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/112?1 

Rohr, R. (2022, November 12). Interfaith Friendships: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/interfaith-friendships-weekly-summary-2022-11-12/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=nov12 

3 John, THE THIRD LETTER OF JOHN. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/3john/1?5