Reading 1
1 Thes 2:1-8
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters,
that our reception among you was not without effect.
Rather, after we had suffered and been insolently treated,
as you know, in Philippi,
we drew courage through our God
to speak to you the Gospel of God with much struggle.
Our exhortation was not from delusion or impure motives,
nor did it work through deception.
But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the Gospel,
that is how we speak,
not as trying to please men,
but rather God, who judges our hearts.
Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with flattering speech, as you know,
or with a pretext for greed"God is witness"
nor did we seek praise from men,
either from you or from others,
although we were able to impose our weight as Apostles of Christ.
Rather, we were gentle among you,
as a nursing mother cares for her children.
With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you
not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well,
so dearly beloved had you become to us.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 139:1-3, 4-6R. (1)
You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
R. You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
Gospel
Mt 23:23-26
Jesus said:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,
and have neglected the weightier things of the law:
judgment and mercy and fidelity.
But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean."
Meditation: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
We were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well.” (1 Thessalonians 2:8)
How tenderly Paul addresses the Thessalonians! He says he cared for them like a nursing mother, reminiscent of the prophet’s reminder that even if a mother could forget her baby, our God will never forget us (Isaiah 49:15). What Paul gave the members of this church couldn’t be boiled down to a set of logical or even theological propositions. He shared his life with them, showing them by word and example how to live in all circumstances with the power of the Spirit.
Each of us has had many teachers and bosses who told us exactly what to do and what to believe. After a few years, we tend to forget their names and even their lessons. But we have all had at least one teacher who was a true mentor— someone who embodied the principles he or she was teaching, someone whose example we wanted to follow. A mentor like that makes truth come alive and inspires us with a bigger, broader, and deeper vision for our lives. This is what Paul was for the people of Thessalonica.
Think of at least one person who has served as such a mentor for you. Was it a parent or other relative who saw you through a difficult, challenging time? Maybe it was a school counselor or a coach who believed in you and took the time to help you achieve your dreams. Perhaps it was someone in your parish who helped you while you were on a retreat and moved you to dedicate your life to the Lord in a new way. Or maybe it was a friend who just let you talk during a time when you were hurt and confused.
If the opportunity still exists, why not try to reach out and thank whoever it was who inspired you? And make it a point as well to try to “pay it forward” by serving as a mentor to someone else. You might be surprised how much you can help someone just by taking an interest in him or her and sharing a part of your life.
“Holy Spirit, I am grateful for the godly men and women you have brought into my life. Help me to reach out to others with the same love.”
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