Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time
Readings of the day: 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13; Psalm 90:3-5a, 12-13, 14, 17; Matthew 24:42-51
How many of us love somebody so much that, when we are apart from this person, we long deeply to be with her or him again? The people we love could be our wife or husband, parents, children, or other family member, or close friends.
This, I imagine, is the longing St. Paul feels for the Church at Thessalonica. The Thessalonians had been among the first Christian communities established by St. Paul. And Paul, who had been away from Thessalonica for some time, says this today in our first reading: “Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person.”
And for what else does St. Paul “pray beyond measure” for his Thessalonian friends, some of the earliest Christians whom he longs to see again “in person”? St. Paul prays for those who are already strong in their faith; strong in their leadership of the Thessalonian community in their faith. “We have been reassured about you, brothers and sisters… through your faith.” St. Paul prays for those whose faith is weak, “to remedy the deficiencies of [their] faith” with prayer and with patience. We can imagine St. Paul praying for people not directly mentioned in our reading today from his first letter to the Thessalonians: Those who are prosperous, that they may use their wealth to support the community; those who are poor; those who are sick or grieving or in need in any way.
St. Paul prays out of a deep love for the Thessalonian Church. And he invites the Thessalonians to the same love for one another: “Abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you.” Jesus’ prayer in Matthew’s Gospel is borne out of the same love for us; the same longing for us. Jesus’ love is the source of his prayer for us “beyond measure”: That we may love Jesus and one another as he loves us and, because we love, that we may “stay awake” waiting for the return of Jesus, our beloved, at the end of time.
To “stay awake” is a sign of love. Those of us who are parents, especially of teenagers or young adults: How many of you have stayed awake, unable to sleep until your child returns home after a late night out, even if your child was probably not into any trouble? Your love for your children is what Jesus speaks of when he says, “Stay awake.” This is the same love with which we are able to “stay awake” for Jesus’ return and to live our lives accordingly until one day we are with God and one another in heaven.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, whose feast day is tomorrow. But St. Augustine would not have become the great saint he is without his mother’s unceasing prayers and love for him. The love between Sts. Monica and Augustine is one of our Church’s greatest-ever love stories. St. Monica stayed “awake” in prayer “without measure” for the conversion of both her son Augustine and husband Patricius.
Monica models love for us: The love of St. Paul for the Thessalonians; the love of Jesus for us; the love that stays “awake,” praying “beyond measure” because we long for our beloved.
How many of us love somebody so much that, when we are apart from this person, we long deeply to be with her or him again? The people we love could be our wife or husband, parents, children, or other family member, or close friends.
This, I imagine, is the longing St. Paul feels for the Church at Thessalonica. The Thessalonians had been among the first Christian communities established by St. Paul. And Paul, who had been away from Thessalonica for some time, says this today in our first reading: “Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person.”
And for what else does St. Paul “pray beyond measure” for his Thessalonian friends, some of the earliest Christians whom he longs to see again “in person”? St. Paul prays for those who are already strong in their faith; strong in their leadership of the Thessalonian community in their faith. “We have been reassured about you, brothers and sisters… through your faith.” St. Paul prays for those whose faith is weak, “to remedy the deficiencies of [their] faith” with prayer and with patience. We can imagine St. Paul praying for people not directly mentioned in our reading today from his first letter to the Thessalonians: Those who are prosperous, that they may use their wealth to support the community; those who are poor; those who are sick or grieving or in need in any way.
St. Paul prays out of a deep love for the Thessalonian Church. And he invites the Thessalonians to the same love for one another: “Abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you.” Jesus’ prayer in Matthew’s Gospel is borne out of the same love for us; the same longing for us. Jesus’ love is the source of his prayer for us “beyond measure”: That we may love Jesus and one another as he loves us and, because we love, that we may “stay awake” waiting for the return of Jesus, our beloved, at the end of time.
To “stay awake” is a sign of love. Those of us who are parents, especially of teenagers or young adults: How many of you have stayed awake, unable to sleep until your child returns home after a late night out, even if your child was probably not into any trouble? Your love for your children is what Jesus speaks of when he says, “Stay awake.” This is the same love with which we are able to “stay awake” for Jesus’ return and to live our lives accordingly until one day we are with God and one another in heaven.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, whose feast day is tomorrow. But St. Augustine would not have become the great saint he is without his mother’s unceasing prayers and love for him. The love between Sts. Monica and Augustine is one of our Church’s greatest-ever love stories. St. Monica stayed “awake” in prayer “without measure” for the conversion of both her son Augustine and husband Patricius.
Monica models love for us: The love of St. Paul for the Thessalonians; the love of Jesus for us; the love that stays “awake,” praying “beyond measure” because we long for our beloved.
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