The readings this Sunday are all about the law. That means biblical law, the law the ancient Jews of the Old Testament believed came to them from God through Moses.
The first reading lists some of the prohibitions imposed by the law. It’s easy to update the literal terms to apply the law to our own world and circumstances. It stands as a rebuke to much of the way we deal with the social problems we face today in our own country.
The gospel picks up this theme of law and what it requires of us. It’s a radical assertion of what God requires of us.
In the second reading, we continue to hear from St. Paul about his experience in the Greek city of Thessalonica. When Paul first crossed the narrow waterway separating Greece from present day Turkey, one of the first Greek cities he visited was Thessalonica. Fortunately, as Paul attests, these people gave him a warm reception at the very beginning of his missionary efforts in the intimidating culture of Greece. He was deeply grateful to these people who gave him such a major boost in confidence to continue his ministry.
—Walter Modrys SJ
This Sunday’s readings can be found on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website.
believe. teach. practice. 