Reading 1
2 Thes1:1-5, 11-12
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians
in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters,
as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more,
and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater.
Accordingly, we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God
regarding your endurance and faith in all your persecutions
and the afflictions you endure.
This is evidence of the just judgment of God,
so that you may be considered worthy of the Kingdom of God
for which you are suffering.
We always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling
and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose
and every effort of faith,
that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him,
in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel
Mt 23:13-22
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it.”
Meditation: Psalm 96
“Sing to the Lord a new song!” (Psalm 96:1)
The Book of Psalms has been the hymnal of God’s people for thousands of years. Tradition attributes the composition of many psalms to King David, “the singer of the songs of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:1 NJB) and others to Jewish guilds of musicians connected with the names Asaph and Korah.
The Israelites sang psalms as they worshipped in the Temple. After the coming of Jesus, however, the earliest Christians—all of whom were Jews—came to see the psalms not only as prayers that Jesus himself had said but also as prophecies about Christ. This is why the psalms have been incorporated into the liturgical worship of the church, forming the heart of the Liturgy of the Hours and teaching us how to respond to the word of God at Mass.
The psalms are poems set to music, and they were originally intended to be sung. They resound with joyful praise and thanksgiving, tender love and blazing anger, rejoicing and suffering, trust and desperation. Taken as a whole, the psalms reflect just about every dimension of human experience. Because they are divinely inspired, each of us can find our own stories in the psalms—and use them to help us lift our hearts to the Lord.
How often do you sing psalms or hymns on your own? Not in your mind, that is, but out loud, with a full voice, as part of your prayer? If you have done this, you know that singing not only glorifies God, it frees us up and makes us more open to his presence. There’s something unique about the way singing puts us in a better place to experience the Lord and receive his blessings. So why not try singing during your prayer time today? Choose a hymn or song or psalm whose words capture what is in your heart. Choose something that helps you to praise the Lord. Don’t worry if you can’t carry a tune—you’re singing for God’s ears, and he loves to listen to you!
“Glorious God, I rejoice in your goodness and mercy! I lift my heart and voice, joining with all the saints and angels in a chorus of praise and thanksgiving to you, my majestic Lord and King!”
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