Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
2 Thessalonians 3:6-10, 16-18
We instruct you, brothers and sisters,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to shun any brother
who walks in a disorderly way
and not according to the tradition they received from us.
For you know how one must imitate us.
For we did not act in a disorderly way among you,
nor did we eat food received free from anyone.
On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked,
so as not to burden any of you.
Not that we do not have the right.
Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you,
so that you might imitate us.
In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that
if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.
May the Lord of peace himself
give you peace at all times and in every way.
The Lord be with all of you.
This greeting is in my own hand, Paul’s.
This is the sign in every letter; this is how I write.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 128:1-2, 4-5
R. (1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Alleluia
1 John 2:5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever keeps the word of Christ,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 23:27-32
Jesus said,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.
Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,
but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You build the tombs of the prophets
and adorn the memorials of the righteous,
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,
we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’
Thus you bear witness against yourselves
that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”
Meditation
Brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, let us give thanks to God for the grace of a new day.
In today’s first reading, Saint Paul is not simply trying to talk to us about work. Through his own example, he teaches us a Christian way of fulfilling our responsibilities. He could have been supported by the community. Yet he chose to work “with toil and hardship, night and day.” Above all, he wanted to set an example. This Word therefore invites us to reflect on our relationship with work, effort, and our responsibilities. Being a Christian does not mean waiting for God to do for us what we are capable of doing ourselves. Certainly, we need His grace, but this does not exempt us from making an effort. On the contrary, His grace gives us the strength to faithfully accomplish what has been entrusted to us. Christians are called to be active, responsible, and committed people. We sometimes think that holiness can only be found in prayer or in great deeds. But God also meets us in the ordinary things of our daily lives.
A student who studies seriously, a mother or father who faithfully fulfills their family responsibilities, a businessperson who works honestly, an employee who faithfully carries out their duties: each person can sanctify their life through their work. What matters is the love, integrity, and faithfulness with which we do it. Work well done becomes therefore a path to sanctification because it teaches us patience, perseverance, discipline, faithfulness, humility, and self-giving.
This is an essential dimension of Christian witness. The world does not listen only to what we say about God. It also looks at how we live. The people around us observe the way we work, honour our commitments, treat others, manage money, and fulfill our responsibilities. It is possible to talk a lot about God while, through our behaviour, giving an image that contradicts the Gospel. Conversely, a person who works honestly, honours their commitments, does not cheat, does not always look for the easiest way out, and conscientiously accomplishes what has been entrusted to them can deeply touch hearts without even saying very much.
Let us therefore take a moment of silence and ask ourselves these two questions:
Do I consider my work merely as an obligation, or as an opportunity to serve God and others? Does the way I work give others a positive image of a Christian?
Let us pray :
Lord our God, You ask us to live responsibly, through work, service, and peace. Deliver us from laziness, negligence, and the temptation to take the easy way out. Give us the courage to rise and take action, as well as the discipline we need to accomplish what is our responsibility. Teach us not to unnecessarily postpone until tomorrow what we can do today. Above all, give us the grace to love a work well-done and to consider our daily activities as opportunities to serve You.
Amen.
Intercession
Let us pray for all those who are looking for employment. May the Lord give them the strength to resist the temptation of taking the easy way out, open doors for them, and give them opportunities to put their talents at the service of others.
Virgin Mary, intercede for them and for us!
Spiritual Exercise :
Today, let us take a sheet of paper and make a list of the tasks we need to accomplish today. Let us also write down the tasks we have been neglecting for some time. First, before the list, pray:
“Lord, I entrust all these tasks to You. Give me the strength, discipline, and perseverance I need to accomplish them. May my work be done with love and become an offering to You.”
Now, let us begin. One task at a time.
BEBISSI Stéphanie
Community of the Disciples of the Living Christ
