Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings: November 7

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To help us prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings and reflections for this coming Sunday’s Scripture readings. In this Sunday’s Gospel Reading, Jesus answers a challenge from his opponents, the Sadducees, about marriage and the Resurrection. This Sunday is the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C.

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

My own weekly study can be found here under “Current Study.”

Here are three audio reflections on the readings by Sister Ann Shields, Dr. Scott Hahn and Fr. Robert Barron.

Here are a trio of Catholic Bible study podcasts on the Gospel Reading, each about an hour long:
–Sunday Gospel Scripture Study
–Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother
–St. Martha’s Adult Faith Formation

The Navarre Bible Commentary for each reading can be viewed here.

Further study resources for the Readings: St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study can be found here, and Catholic Matters can be found here.

Please consider supporting those who provide these free resources. Discussion, questions and charitable comments are always welcome. Have a blessed week!

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1st Reading - 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14

The title of 1 and 2 Maccabees is taken from the surname of Judas Maccabeus (1 Maccabees 2:4), the hero of the war of Jewish independence against Syria. The two books have separate authors. The first book is thought to have originally been written in Hebrew, although only a Greek translation survives, by a Palestinian Jew around 100 B.C. The second book is believed to have been composed in Greek by an Alexandrian Pharisee about 124 B.C. So, in fact, the second book was written before the first. Both books encompass a similar period in Jewish history, the first book covering 175 to 135 B.C., and the second covering 175 to 161 B.C.

After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C., Egypt and Syria contended over the possession of Palestine. The kings of Egypt, known as the Ptolemies, retained the overlordship over the Jews for more than 100 years. They treated the Jews mildly and permitted them to live undisturbed according to the laws of Moses. Still, Greek habits and ideas were widely adopted in Palestine, Greek culture (Hellenism) casting its spell especially over the higher classes. In 198 B.C., Antiochus II, Seleucid king of Syria, conquered Palestine and incorporated it with his own kingdom. The conqueror himself did not interfere with the religious life of the Jews, but his son and successor, Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), who ruled from 175 to 164 B.C. tried to force paganism upon all his subjects. In 170 he plundered the Temple and slew many of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Two years later he threw a garrison into the citadel and ordered all Jews under pain of death to adopt pagan rites and customs. A statue of Zeus was placed above the altar of burnt offerings, and an edict was issued ordaining the erection of heathen altars in every town of Palestine. Many apostatized; but many also preferred to suffer torture and death rather than transgress the law of God.

The second book of Maccabees is important from a doctrinal point of view: it aims at bringing out strongly the religious lessons of the time, the book being written more as a sermon than a history. It includes such fundamental texts as that which states that God created all things out of nothing and those which make it clear that the sacrifice of martyrs is a voluntary form of atonement which placates God’s anger. Other texts lay stress on the intercession of the saints, and the value of prayers for the dead. To learn more about the Books of Maccabees, read the “This Rock” article found here.

In order to get the context of this Sunday’s First Reading, I recommend first reading all of 2 Maccabees, Chapter 7.

Here the First Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested
and tortured with whips and scourges by the king,
to force them to eat pork in violation of God’s law.
One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said:
“What do you expect to achieve by questioning us?
We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.”

At the point of death he said:
“You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life,
but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.
It is for his laws that we are dying.”

After him the third suffered their cruel sport.
He put out his tongue at once when told to do so,
and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words:
“It was from Heaven that I received these;
for the sake of his laws I disdain them;
from him I hope to receive them again.”
Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man’s courage,
because he regarded his sufferings as nothing.

After he had died,
they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way.
When he was near death, he said,
“It is my choice to die at the hands of men
with the hope God gives of being raised up by him;
but for you, there will be no resurrection to life.”

 

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The Navarre Bible Commentary on the first riding (with RSV-CE):

Martyrdom of the Seven Brothers and their Mother
------------------------------------------------
[1] It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and cords, to partake of unlawful swine’s flesh. [2] One of them, acting as their spokesman, said, “What do you intend to ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers.” [9] And when he was at his last breath, he said, “You accursed wretch, you dismiss us from this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his laws.”

[10] After him, the third was the victim of their sport. When it was demanded, he quickly put out his tongue and courageously stretched forth his hands, [11] and said nobly, “I got these from Heaven, and because of his laws I disdain them, and from him I hope to get them back again.” [12] As a result the king himself and those with him were astonished at the young man’s spirit, for he regarded his sufferings as nothing. [13] When he too had died, they maltreated and tortured the fourth in the same way. [14] And when he was near death, he said, “One cannot but choose to die at the hands of men and to cherish the hope that God gives of being raised again by him. But for you there will be no resurrection to life!”

Commentary:

7:1-42. This is one of the most famous and popular passages in the history of the Maccahees–so much so that traditionally (but improperly) these brothers are usually referred to as “the Maccabees”. The sacred writer does not tell us the boys’ names, or where it all happened; and he brings in the presence of the king to heighten the dramatic effect. The bravery of these young men, it would seem, was inspired by the good example given by Eleazar (cf. 6:28). The mother’s intervention divides the scene into two parts–first the martyrdom of the six older brothers (vv. 2-19), and then that of the youngest and the mother herself (vv. 20-41).

In the first part the conviction that the just will rise and evildoers will be punished builds up as the story goes on. Each of the replies given by the six brothers contains some aspect of truth. The first says that just men prefer to die rather than sin (v. 2) because God will reward them (v. 6); the second, that God will raise them to a new life (v. 9); the third, that they will rise with their bodies remade (v. 11); the fourth, that for evildoers there will be no “resurrection to life” (v. 14); the fifth, that there will be punishment for evildoers (v. 17); and the sixth, that when just people suffer it is because they are being punished for their own sins (v. 18).

In the second part, both the mother and the youngest brother affirm what the others have said: but the boy adds something new when he says that death accepted by the righteous works as atonement for the whole people (vv. 37¬-38).

The resurrection of the dead, which “God revealed to his people progressively” (“Catechism of the Church”, 992), is a teaching that is grounded first on Moses’ words about God having compassion on his servants (v. 6; cf. Deut 32:36), and the idea that if they die prematurely they will receive consolation in the next life. This is the point being made by the first brother, and it implies that God “faithfully maintains his covenant with Abraham and his posterity” (ibid.). As the mother sees it (vv. 27-28), belief in the resurrection comes from “faith in God as creator of the whole man, body and soul” (ibid., 992). Our Lord Jesus Christ ratifies this teaching and links it to faith in himself (cf. Jn 5:24-25; 11:25); and he also purifies the Pharisees’ notion of the resurrection, which was an interpretation based only on material terms (cf. Mk 12:18-27; 1 Cor 15:35-53).

In what the mother says (v. 28) we can also see belief in the creation of the world out of nothing “as a truth full of promise and hope” (“Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 297). On the basis of this passage and some New Testament passages, such as John 1:3 and Hebrews 11:3, the Church has formulated its doctrine of creation: “We believe that God needs no pre-existent thing or any help in order to create (cf. Vatican I: DS 3022), nor is creation any sort of necessary emanation from the divine substance (cf. Vatican I: DS 3023-3024). God creates freely ‘out of nothing’ (DS 800; 3025). If God had drawn the world from pre-existent matter, what would be so extraordinary in that? A human artisan makes from a given material whatever he wants, while God shows his power by starting from nothing to make all he wants” (“Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 296).

The assertion that the death of martyrs has expiatory value (vv. 37-38) prepares us to grasp the redemptive meaning of Christ’s death; but we should remember that Christ, by his death, not only deflected the punishment that all men deserve on account of sin, but also, through his grace, makes sinful men righteous in God’s sight (cf. Rom 3:21-26).

Many Fathers of the Church, notably St Gregory Nazianzen (“Orationes”, 15, 22), St Ambrose (“De Iacob et Vitae Beata”, 2, 10, 44-57), St Augustine (“In Epistolam Ioannis”, 8, 7), and St Cyprian (“Ad Fortunatus”, 11) heaped praise on these seven brothers and their mother. St John Chrysostom invites us to imitate them whenever temptation strikes: “All the moderation that they show in the midst of dangers we, too, should imitate by the patience and temperance with which we deal with irrational concupiscence, anger, greed for possessions, bodily passions, vainglory and such like. For if we manage to control their flame, as (the Maccabees) did the flame of the fire, we will be able to be near them and have a share in their confidence and freedom of spirit” ('Homiliae in Maccabaeos", 1,3).

 

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From the Douay Rheims translation, with 1859 Haydock Commentary:

The glorious martyrdom of the seven brethren and their mother.

*1 It *came to pass also, that seven brethren, together with their mother, were apprehended, and compelled by the king to eat swine’s flesh against the law, for which end they were tormented with whips and scourges.

---

Ver. 1. Scourges, made of leather thongs; taureis. (Haydock) — These brethren are styled Machabees; as Judas rendered this name so famous, that all who suffered or fought valiantly for religion in those times, went by this appellation. Josephus has much embellished this history, and Erasmus still more. The tombs of these martyrs were shewn at Antioch. (Calmet) — Their names are not known. (Haydock) — Those who wish to see more, may consult the large discourse of Josephus on the Machabees, (Worthington) though this work be contested, and St. Cyprian iv. ep. 6; St. Ambrose i. of. 40.; St. Chrysostom; St. Augustine; St. Leo, &c. (Worthington)
*
2 But one of them, who was the eldest, said thus: What wouldst thou ask, or learn of us? we are ready to die, rather than to transgress the laws of God, received from our fathers.

9 And when he was at the last gasp, he said thus: Thou indeed, O most wicked man, destroyest us out of this present life: but the King of the world will raise us up, who die for his laws, in the resurrection of eternal life.*
**
Ver. 9.** Most wicked. The martyrs have sometimes been inspired by God to speak in harsh language to magistrates; though their office generally commands respect. (Haydock) — Life. The resurrection is clearly specified in all these answers. The Redeemer was near at hand. (Calmet) — Christiani fuerunt…factis. (St. Augustine, ser. i. 2.)

*10 After him the third was made a mocking-stock, and when he was required, he quickly put forth his tongue, and courageously stretched out his hands:

11 And said with confidence: These I have from heaven, but for the laws of God I now despise them, because I hope to receive them again from him.

12 So that the king, and they that were with him, wondered at the young man’s courage, because he esteemed the torments as nothing.

13 And after he was thus dead, they tormented the fourth in the like manner.

14 And when he was now ready to die, he spoke thus: It is better, being put to death by men, to look for hope from God, to be raised up again by him; for, as to thee, thou shalt have no resurrection unto life.*

 

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Other comments and thoughts on the First Reading:

1 It also happened that seven brothers with their mother: The names of these brothers and their mother are not mentioned in the biblical text, but one tradition has their names as Habim, Antonin, Guriah, Eleazar, Eusebon, Hadim (Halim), Marcellus, their mother Solomonia. They are called the “Maccabean martyrs” not because they were members of the Maccabee family, but because all Jewish martyrs of this period of persecution are so called.

were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God’s law: The persecutors thought that by forcing Jews to eat pork, a food forbidden by the law of Moses, they would make them abandon their faith. The loyal Jews preferred to die rather than violate God’s law. By having the mother of the seven boys present, they thought that her love for them and her anguish at seeing them tortured would move her to beg them to give in and save their lives. Instead, she encouraged them to persevere and bear their tortures. She herself was martyred last of all.
**
2 One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said: “What do you expect to achieve by questioning us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.”: **The first brother bravely tells the king how foolish he is if he thinks that he can force them to betray the faith of their ancestors.

**9 At the point of death he said: “You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying.”: The second brother tells the king what value he sets on this short life, for he is convinced that the King of the world—God—will give him an everlasting life after his earthly life is over.
**
10 After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put out his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely held out his hands: He gladly holds out his tongue and his hands to be chopped off, for he knows that it was God who gave them to him and he is certain that God will give them back to him again in the next life.

**11 as he spoke these noble words: “It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again.”
12 Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man’s courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing.
13 After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way.
14 When he was near death, he said, “It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the God-given hope of being restored to life by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life.”: **The fourth proclaims, not only his solid belief in a future life of happiness for those who are loyal to God and his laws in this life, but he boldly tells his persecutors that their resurrection from the dead will not be to life. It will not be a life of happiness for them but one to which eternal death would be preferable.

There is a progression in the words the brothers address to the king before dying:

1. The just die rather than sin.
2. God will raise them up.
3. They will rise with bodies fully restored.
4. For the wicked there will be no resurrection to life.
5. Instead of resurrection, God will punish them.
6. The just suffer because of their sins, as will the wicked.
7. The death of the saints has imperatory (obtain by entreaty or petition) and even expiatory (make atonement) value.

Thus, the sacred author states the theology of martyrdom and the resurrection of the just. This passage (especially verses 9, 11, and 14) are among the earliest clear biblical witness of a belief among the Jews that there was a hope of resurrection of the body (Daniel 12:2, Wisdom 3 and Job 19:26 also have intimations of this belief). Before this, the most Jews seem to have believed about an afterlife was either complete annihilation, or in a sort of shadowy afterlife known as Sheol. By Jesus’ time (as now), a variety of views about the afterlife were held by the Jews, as we will see in the Gospel Reading.

 

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The First Reading is cited in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in the following section:

CHRIST’S RESURRECTION AND OURS

The progressive revelation of the Resurrection

992 God revealed the resurrection of the dead to his people progressively. Hope in the bodily resurrection of the dead established itself as a consequence intrinsic to faith in God as creator of the whole man, soul and body. The creator of heaven and earth is also the one who faithfully maintains his covenant with Abraham and his posterity. It was in this double perspective that faith in the resurrection came to be expressed. In their trials, the Maccabean martyrs confessed:

*The King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his laws.**540*** One cannot but choose to die at the hands of men and to cherish the hope that God gives of being raised again by him.**541**

540. 2 Macc 7:9.

541. 2 Macc 7:14; cf. 7:29; Dan 12:1-13.

 

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Some questions for personal reflection on the First Reading:

– How would you explain the concept of Christian martyrdom?

– For what did the Maccabean martyrs allow themselves to be tortured and killed: was it to avoid eating pork or to avoid transgressing the 'letter of the law"—or was it for a reason deeper than these?

– Would you be willing to endure martyrdom for the Faith if it came right down to it? What about the small “martyrdoms” of everyday Christian life? How does your hope in the Resurrection factor into this?

 

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A reflection for personal application from Catholic Matters:

**APPLICATION: **The example of these seven sons who, in the presence of one another and in the presence of their loving mother, were one by one slowly martyred for their faith, is an example that deserves to be forever preserved (and it is) in the annals of human history. Whether they expressed in words all that the inspired author attributes to them is not of great importance. They certainly expressed it in their pious and patient acceptance of their tortures at the hands of irreligious and inhuman tyrants. They were sustained and strengthened in their suffering by the pious exhortations of their truly loyal and faith-inspired mother. More especially were they sustained by the firm conviction that the God of the universe, the God of justice and love, for whose laws they were losing their earthly lives, had a glorious and eternal life in store for them.

Millions of Christians have died as noble martyrs for their faith, down through the ages. There are millions who are suffering slow martyrdom for that same faith today. They, however, had and have the example of Christ, the Son of God made man, who suffered the slow and cruel martyrdom of crucifixion for their takes. So in a sense the mother and seven brothers of today’s reading deserve greater admiration. However, it was the same God who gave the necessary grace to all martyrs. It is in the presence of that same God that all Jewish and Christian martyrs, and others who have died for conscience sake, are enjoying together their eternal reward today.

All of these are held up to us for our admiration, and we must indeed admire them. The atheist who has esteem for intellectual integrity and uprightness must admire one who is willing to sacrifice his life in defence of his convictions. However, for us Christians, admiration is not enough. Attempted imitation, at least is necessary. We may shrink now from the thought of ever having to face even half of what our martyrs suffered. They, too, most probably shivered at the very thought of what awaited them. But when the moment of trial came the grace of God gave them all the strength they needed. God’s grace would also come to our aid, if ever we were called on to suffer and die for our faith. Our only sure guarantee, however, is the present strength and meaningfulness of our faith in our daily lives.

There were many Jews in the days of the Maccabees who gave up their faith when the persecution began. There were many Christians, too, who went over to the enemy in order to save their earthly lives and property. There are many leaders of the anti-God and anti-Christian campaign today, who were once Christians of a kind. No martyr ever died willingly for a cause in which he did not believe. No Christian ever died for the faith unless he believed firmly in it and lived his daily life in accordance with its precepts.

This is a test which we can all apply to ourselves. We need not ask ourselves whether we would willingly accept torture and death for the sake of our faith. We must, however, ask ourselves if we are willingly and truly living that faith in our daily lives. That in itself is not an easy, painless effort for any one of us. For some it is one prolonged martyrdom. But think of the firm convictions that strengthened that Jewish mother and her seven sons. These convictions should be more firmly established still in the minds of all true Christians. If we are loyal to God, he will reward us. If we are faithful to his laws, he will be true to his promises. If, when called on to do so, we give our earthly lives for his sake, he has an eternal life of unending joy and happiness ready for us when we close our eyes in death.

 

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2nd Reading - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5

Last week we began our study of 2 Thessalonians. Recall that this letter was written to clear up some misunderstandings caused by the first letter. The misunderstandings concerned the second coming and when it would occur. Some had even given up working in anticipation of the event. Paul wrote to assure them that no one knew when it would occur and that they were to keep on working until the end.

Today we hear Paul’s prayer for strengthening. He prays for them to God the Son and to the Father. He prays that they may persevere loyally in the faith that they profess. In return, he asks them to pray that he will be able to continue to spread the Christian faith to many others. There are difficulties and opponents, but Paul is confident that Christ will continue to guard and strengthen them in their loyal service to the faith and the precepts which he, Paul, has given to them.

Here is the Second Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

Brothers and sisters:
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement
and good hope through his grace,
encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed
and word.

Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us,
so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified,
as it did among you,
and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people,
for not all have faith.
But the Lord is faithful;
he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you,
you are doing and will continue to do.
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God
and to the endurance of Christ.

 

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From the Navarre Bible Commentary:

The Need for Steadfastness (Continuation)
-----------------------------------------
[16] Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, [17] comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

16-17. God chose believers without any merit on their part; that choice marks the first stage in their path to salvation; the journey to the goal of salvation involves cooperation between God’s grace and man’s freedom. Man needs the help of the “good hope” which comes from recognizing that he is a son of God. “In my case, and I wish the same to happen to you”, Monsignor Escriva writes, “the certainty I derive from feeling–from knowing–that I am a son of God fills me with real hope which, being a supernatural virtue, adapts to our nature when it is infused in us, and so is also a very human virtue …]. This conviction spurs me on to grasp that only those things that bear the imprint of God can display the indelible sign of eternity and have lasting value. Therefore, far from separating me from the things of this earth, hope draws me closer to these realities in a new way, a Christian way, which seeks to discover in everything the relation between our fallen nature and God, our Creator and Redeemer” (“Friends of God”, 208).

By inspiring us with hope, God fills our hearts with consolation and at the same time encourages us to put our faith into practice in daily life–“in every good work and word.”

Paul Asks for Prayers
---------------------
[1] Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed on and triumph, as it did among you,

**1. **The whole Church, not just the Apostles, is given the task of spreading the message of Jesus. All believers can and should play an active part in this, at least by way of prayer. The Apostle’s request for prayers also shows that he realizes that the supernatural work entrusted to him is beyond him and yet he does not shirk the work of apostolate. St John Chrysostom comments on St Paul’s approach: “The Apostle …] now encourages them to offer prayers to God for him, but he does not ask them to pray God to free him from dangers he ought to face up to (for they are an unavoidable consequence of his ministry); rather, he asks them to pray ‘that the word of the Lord may speed on and triumph’” (“Hom. on 2 Thess, ad loc.”).

The “speed and triumph” is evocative of the Games, which had such a following in Greece: the winner of a race was given a victory wreath. The victory, the triumph, of the word of the Lord is its proclamation reaching everyone and being accepted by everyone.

[2] and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not all have faith.

2. “Not all have faith”: literally, “faith is not something that belongs to all”, that is, not everyone has believed the Apostle’s preaching though he has excluded no one from it. The “wicked and evil men” may be a reference to certain Jews hostile to Christianity who had persecuted Paul in Macedonia and were now putting obstacles in his way at Corinth.

It must be remembered that faith is a supernatural virtue, a gift from God, and cannot be obtained by man’s unaided effort: “Even though the assent of faith is by no means a blind impulse, still, no one can assent to the gospel preaching as he must in order to be saved without the enlightenment and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who gives all men their joy in assenting to and believing the truth” (Vatican I, “Dei Filius”, chap. 3).

God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4) and so to all men he gives his grace and offers the gift of faith; however, they are free to reject or accept the light he offers them.

*[3] But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from evil. *

**3. **“But the Lord is faithful”: and therefore, unlike those who are unfaithful (v. 2), we should put our trust in God: “Do not doubt it”, Chrysostom comments, “God is faithful. He has promised salvation, he will save you. But, as he said, he will do so on one condition–what we love him, that we listen to his word and his Law. He will not save us unless we cooperate” (“Hom. on 2 Thess, ad loc.”).

“He will strengthen you and guard you from evil”: These words may be meant to echo the prayer contained in the Our Father (cf. Mt 6:13; cf. Mt 5:37).

[4] And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things which we command. [5] May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

**4-5. **The Apostle is confident that the Thessalonians will stay true to Christ, and he asks God to give them the endurance they need in the midst of their difficulties. “The steadfastness of Christ” may be a reference to the example Christ gave during his passion by enduring unto death on the cross, out of love for the Father and for us; believers should love God in that kind of way (cf. Heb 12:1). However, “the steadfastness of Christ” can also be interpreted as referring to the need for Christians to be patient as they wait for the second coming of Christ (cf. 1 Thess 1:3).

Love and steadfastness are two Christian virtues which make us resemble God: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:1-2). So, love and endurance are interconnected and complement each other “Jesus came to the Cross after having prepared himself for thirty-three years, all his life! If they really want to imitate him, his disciples have to turn their lives into a co-redemption of Love, by means of active and passive self-denial” ([St] J. Escriva, “Furrow”, 255).

 

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From the Douay Rheims translation (where the verse numbers are slightly different from modern Bibles) with the 1859 Haydock Commentary:

[Paul] begs their prayers, and warns them against idleness.

*1 For the rest, brethren, pray for us, that the word of God may run and may be glorified, even as among you:

Ver. 1. May run. That is, may spread itself, and have free course. (Challoner)

2 And that we may be delivered from troublesome and evil men: for all men have not faith.

**Ver. 2. **From troublesome, or importunate men. In the Greek, is signified men who act unreasonably, absurdly, &c. (Witham) — For all men have not faith. Faith is a gift of God, which he is not obliged to give but to whom he will. St. Paul here assures us that he finds nothing but obstacles in his great work, nothing but enemies of the truth, and nothing but men who resist the inspirations and calls of God, opposing the preaching of the gospel. He exhorts them not to be scandalized at what they see him suffer, but to return thanks to God, who has vouchsafed to call them, giving them an understanding and docile heart. (Calmet)

3 But God is faithful, who will strengthen and keep you from evil.

**Ver. 3. **From evil. It may either signify evil things, or the evil one, the devil. (Witham)

4 And we have confidence concerning you in the Lord, that the things which we command, you both do, and will do. 5 And the Lord direct your hearts, in the charity of God, and in the patience of Christ.

Ver. 5. Or, according to the Greek, may the Lord direct and carry your hearts to the love of God, and to the expectation of Jesus Christ.

 

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Other thoughts and comments on the Second Reading:

**2:16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace: **Paul puts God the Son before the Father here because, in the previous verses, he has told them that the Gospel has given them a share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul prays now that Christ and God the Father, who was so generous with them, when he sent his Son for their eternal consolation and hope, would continue to console and strengthen them in their Christian faith, and that they would practice “every good work and word.” Saint Paul stresses the gratuity of the gift. The gift is freely given to those who will accept it.

17 encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.

**
3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified, as it did among you: **Paul’s life-ambition since his conversion was to spread the good news of salvation to all men, so that all would welcome it, as the Thessalonians had. And how did the word of the Lord speed forward and was glorified? The verse before our reading today says for them to “hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.” The oral traditions were not new revelation, but interpretations of the written word.

“From this it is clear that they did not hand down everything by letter, but there was much also that was not written. Like that which was written, the unwritten too is worthy of belief. So let us regard the tradition of the Church also as worthy of belief. Is it a tradition? Seek no further.” [Saint John Chrysostom (between A.D. 398-404), *Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

4,2]

**2 and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith: **Paul has met with obstacles to his preaching of the Gospel in Corinth, from where he is writing this letter. These obstacles are the Jews and some of his Greek converts, including so-called leaders, ministers and other evangelists. They were evil men (some had accused him before the Roman authorities, others confused new believers by conflating the Jewish law with the law of grace). Others were less guilty. But they were confused in their interpretation of what and whom the Messiah should be, and therefore what the Christian message was.

**3 But the Lord is faithful: ** Christ is faithful. He keeps his promises. He will protect you against all opposition.

he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one: Satan is meant, protection from whom Jesus teaches us to pray in the Our Father: “…and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13)

**4 We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you, you (both) are doing and will continue to do.

5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ: **Prayer for an increase in the gift of God’s love and in the patient endurance of which Christ is both the example and the provider (see Romans 15:5). Paul prays that Christ will govern their thoughts so that they will continue to love God, and be faithful and loyal to Christ and his teaching.

 

[Fidelis]

(Note: This passage is not cited in the Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Some questions for personal reflection and application:

1. 2:3–4. Given the events of the last hundred years, several historical figures might easily fit this description. How would you avoid letting yourself be deceived by a charismatic but devious personality?

1. 3:1–2. For what purpose is Paul soliciting intercessory prayer from the Thessalonian Church?

1. In light of the themes of the First Reading and the Gospel Reading, what might St. Paul be referring to in the Second Reading when he uses terms like “everlasting encouragement,” “hope,” the Lord as being “faithful,” and “the endurance of Christ”?

 

[Fidelis]

Here is a meditation for personal application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: St. Paul was a man of God and one full of human understanding. He knew and appreciated the difficulties that converts from paganism to Christianity had to endure. He was ever ready to help them. He tells them that he is begging Christ, and God the Father, to console and strengthen them so that they may continue to live their faith.

He then asks for their prayers. These prayers are not for any personal needs of his own, and he had temporal and spiritual needs, but that the Gospel, the word of the Lord, might make progress, might reach out to more and more people. He is making this very same request of us today, through this reading from his Epistle.

We are living in one of the most troubled periods of man’s history on earth. A great part of our world has made immense progress in science, technology, medicine and other branches of learning, has raised the standard of living, increased the comforts of life and lengthened life expectancy. Yet, man’s social conscience has not kept pace with his material improvement. In fact, individual men and whole nations, have become more selfish and less inclined to take a human interest in their less fortunate neighbors.

There are millions living in destitution, not only in the underdeveloped parts of our globe but amidst the wealth and luxury of the richer nations too. Communism has been proposed and is being put into action in parts of the world as a cure for the unequal distribution of this world’s goods. However, the poor and the powerless under communism find that they have exchanged one set of selfish masters for a more selfish and more merciless set of tyrants. The theory of the common ownership of all things is based on the false premise that all men are equally honest, and that each will play his full part in producing the goods necessary for all. A more basic error still in the communist theory, is that man’s life ends like the cow or the ***, in the grave. There is no God and therefore no future life according to the communist preachers. If that theory were true, by what right could the rulers expect honesty, truth, self-sacrifice, brotherly love, from their subjects? If there is no higher law-giver and no higher ruler than the whip of the slave-driver, why should any sane man exert himself or put himself out to provide for the common good, as long as he can escape the eye of the whip-holder? What have men in common, if they are no different and have no higher end or purpose in life, than that of a herd of cattle in a field? What basis is this for brotherly love or interest in one’s neighbor? NOTE: This meditation was written in the 1950’s when the threat of global Communism was very real. However, one can say much the same about the dominant philosophy of today, relativism–especially moral relativism. As Pope Benedict XVI has said, "“We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as definitive and has as its highest value one’s own ego and one’s own desires… The church needs to withstand the tides of trends and the latest novelties… We must become mature in this adult faith, we must guide the flock of Christ to this faith.”]

Bad philosophy and worse theology can never cure this world’s ills. We need the truths of Christianity put into daily practice by rich and by poor, by nations as well as by individuals. All men on earth are adopted sons of God. All men on earth are brothers of one another, because they are brothers of Christ who became one of us, in order to bring all of us into the family of God. We must let these basic truths govern our lives and our actions. We must do all in our power to give the knowledge of these truths of the Christian faith to all the nations of the earth. St. Paul asks us today, to pray that this will come to pass. We must listen to his request. We should never allow a day to pass without fervently begging God to spread his kingdom throughout the whole world.

We must also give the lesson of good example to all those with whom we come in contact. We must take an active part and give whatever aid we can to those truly Christian societies which are working so hard to improve the lot of the underprivileged at home and abroad. We must exert our Christian influence on public opinion and on national politics. It should not be the success of one particular party that should interest us but the Christian principles of our public representatives. If the Christian nations were truly Christian, brotherly love would spread out from them to the whole world. The causes of unrest and strife within nations would be removed. Fear of aggression among nations would gradually disappear. Vast sums wasted on weapons of war could be spent in the improvement of the underprivileged nations.

The greatest need of our world today is a return to the open acknowledgment of the Fatherhood of God and the true brotherhood of all men. When these basic truths penetrate the social consciences of men and of nations, we can expect an end to hatred and division, to wars and to the wanton destruction of the gifts which God gave us. He gave us these to make our lives less difficult and more productive of good works.

 

[Fidelis]

Gospel - Luke 20:27-38

Jesus is now in Jerusalem for His passion. He has made His triumphal entry which we celebrate on Passion (Palm) Sunday, he has upset the establishment by cleansing the temple. The Pharisees, scribes, and Sadducees are all now interested in getting rid of Him.

The Sadducees were a particular religious party that existed in Judaism since the time of the Maccabees. Composed of an aristocratic, priestly class, they held some political and theological views that were not generally accepted by the ordinary people, nor, especially, by the Pharisees who were the more numerous and more influential party (The Sadducees denied the existence of angels or of biblical books beyond the first Five Books of Moses–the Torah. They also generally tolerated the Roman occupation). One of the doctrines held by the Pharisees, and by the majority of Jews, was the resurrection after death. This the Sadducees denied as well. Knowing that Jesus taught the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, they came to him with what they thought was a “case,” which would prove how ridiculous this idea of resurrection was.

Here is the Gospel Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying,
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers;
the first married a woman but died childless.
Then the second and the third married her,
and likewise all the seven died childless.
Finally the woman also died.
Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?
For all seven had been married to her.”
Jesus said to them,
“The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called out 'Lord, ’
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.”

 

[Fidelis]

Here is the *Navarre Bible Commentary *for this Gospel Reading (the text is from the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition):

27-40. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body or the immortality of the soul. They came along to ask Jesus a question which is apparently unanswerable. According to the Levirate law (cf. Deuteronomy 25:5ff), if a man died without issue, his brother was duty bound to marry his widow to provide his brother with descendants. The consequences of this law would seem to give rise to a ridiculous situation at the resurrection of the dead.

Our Lord replies by reaffirming that there will be a resurrection; and by explaining the properties of those who have risen again, the Sadducees’ argument simply evaporates. In this world people marry in order to continue the species: that is the primary aim of marriage. After the resurrection there will be no more marriage because people will not die anymore.

Quoting Sacred Scripture (Exodus 3:2, 6) our Lord shows the grave mistake the Sadducees make, and He argues: God is not the God of the dead but of the living, that is to say, there exists a permanent relationship between God and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who have been dead for years. Therefore, although these just men have died as far as their bodies are concerned, they are alive, truly alive, in God—their souls are immortal–and they are awaiting the resurrection of their bodies.

The Resurrection of the Dead
----------------------------
[27] There came to Him (Jesus) some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection, [28] and they asked Him a question saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother. [29] Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children; [30] and the second [31] and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. [32] Afterward the woman also died. [33] In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

The note on Matthew 22:23-33 (a parallel passage) states:

23-33. The Sadducees argue against belief in the resurrection of the dead on the basis of the Levirate law, a Jewish law which laid down that when a married man died without issue, one of his brothers, according to a fixed order, should marry his widow and the first son of that union be given the dead man’s name. By outlining an extreme cases the Sadducees make the law and belief in resurrection look ridiculous. In His reply, Jesus shows up the frivolity of their objections and asserts the truth of the resurrection of the dead

*[34] And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; [35] but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, [36] for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. [37] But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. [38] Now He is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him.” *

The note on Mark 12:18-27 (another cross-referenced parallel passage) states:

**18-27. **Before answering the difficulty proposed by the Sadducees, Jesus wants to identify the source of the problem–man’s tendency to confine the greatness of God inside a human framework through excessive reliance on reason, not giving due weight to divine Revelation and the power of God. A person can have difficulty with the truths of faith; this is not surprising, for these truths are above human reason. But it is ridiculous to try to find contradictions in the revealed word of God; this only leads away from any solution of difficulty and may make it impossible to find one’s way back to God. We need to approach Sacred Scripture, and, in general, the things of God, with the humility which faith demands. In the passage about the burning bush, which Jesus quotes to the Sadducees, God says this to Moses: “Put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5).

 

[Fidelis]

From the 1859 Haydock Commentary (with Douay Rheims translation):

*27 *And there came to him some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection, and they asked him,
28 Saying: Master, Moses wrote unto us: If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he leave no children, that his brother should take her to wife, and raise up seed to his brother.
29 There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
30 And the next took her to wife, and he also died childless.
31 And the third took her. And in like manner all the seven, and they left no seed, and died.
32 Last of all the woman died also.
33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of them shall she be? since the seven had her to wife.
34 And Jesus said to them: The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35 But they that shall be accounted worthy of that world, and of the resurrection from the dead, shall neither be married, nor take wives.
36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal to the Angels, and are the children of God, being the children of resurrection.

Ver. 36. The children of resurrection; i.e. of the just, who shall rise to a happy resurrection: not but that the wicked shall also rise, but to their condemnation and greater misery. (Witham) — Jesus Christ begins with stating the wide difference between the state of things in this mortal life and in that which is to come: that marriage necessary here, will be unnecessary hereafter. For, in this life, they are children of men, subject to death, and therefore under the necessity of continuing their race by generation; but in the next life, they shall be children of resurrection, living for eternity, never to die, and consequently sons of God, and immortal. Resurrection is a kind of regeneration to immortality. Hence St. Paul explains to our Saviour’s rising again, these words of the 2nd Psalm: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. (Calmet)
*
37 Now that the dead rise again, Moses also shewed at the bush, *when he calleth the Lord, The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob:

38 For he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live to him.*

 

[Fidelis]

Other thoughts and comments on the Gospel Reading: Luke 20: 27-38

27 Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection: For more on the Sadducees, see post 15.

came forward and put this question to him: It was common for the Jews to ask challenging questions of rabbis. In this case, it was clear they were trying to ridicule and trap him. In contrast to all the controversies Jesus had with the Pharisees, this is the only direct controversy he had with the Sadducees recorded in the Gospels.

**28 saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.’: **The question refers to the so-called levirate marriage (see Deuteronomy 25:5-10). It is so-called from the Latin word for brother-in-law which is levir. We see examples of this in the Old Testament in Genesis 38:6-8 and Ruth 4:5, where it is extended to near relatives.

**29 Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless.
30 Then the second
31 and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless.
32 Finally the woman also died.
33 Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her.": In order to make the belief of the resurrection sound silly, the Sadducees use, what seems to them, an absurd example. They may, at the same time, be trying to ridicule the Book of Tobit in which a similar story is related (Tobit 3:7-9) and which Jesus may have accepted, but they did not.
**
34 Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and remarry: In the parallel passages (Matthew 22:23-33 and Mark 12:18-27) Jesus here accuses the Sadducees of not knowing or understanding the Scriptures. Marriage was instituted as the means of propagating the human race on this earth. It was a divine institution.
**
35 but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage: **It will be different in the life hereafter. Those who will be raised to the new and eternal life will not marry, because the purpose and need for marriage will no longer exist. The number of God’s citizens in heaven will be complete. Such Christians will share the heavenly blessedness of freedom from “the cares and pleasures of life.”

36 They can no longer die, for they are like angels: Recall, the Sadducees did not believe in the existence of angels (or other spirits). Again, this may be a poke back at the Sadducees by Jesus countering their gibe about the Book of Tobit since in that book, an angel (Raphael) figures prominently.

The resurrected bodies will be different from our earthly bodies. Sexual and other instincts, necessary in this life, will be absent from the risen bodies. St. Paul calls the risen bodies “spiritual” bodies. “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown in the earth is subject to decay, what rises is incorruptible. What is sown is ignoble, what rises is glorious. Weakness is sown, strength rises up. A natural body is put down, a spiritual body comes up” (1 Cor. 15:42-44). And so in this sense the risen bodies will be like the angels.
**
and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise: **As a result of Christ’s Incarnation, death and resurrection we shall rise from the dead as adopted sons of God.

37 That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called ‘Lord’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: Jesus is referring to Exodus 3:2-6. “I am the God of your father," he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” God spoke these words in the present tense. Even though these patriarchs had long departed the earth by this time, it is clear that Yahweh continues to be their God in the afterlife.

The Sadducees accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament. Our Lord now quotes Moses, their great leader and law-giver, as calling God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He argues from this. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are not dead and gone, because God is a God of the living, not of the dead. He can have no interest or care for that which does not exist.

38 and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.": The Patriarchs, and all men of the past ages, who were true to him by following his revelation or the light of their consciences (in the case of the pagan nations) are awaiting their resurrection. Therefore, they are not eternally dead, but alive in some way which is known only to God. Resurrection was not possible until Christ completed his salvific mission and was raised from the dead, “the first fruits” of all others. Since God is the God of the living, God must have sustained the dead Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in life by resurrecting them.

 

[Fidelis]

This Sunday’s Gospel passage (Luke 20:27-38, along with it’s parallel accounts in Matthew 22:23-33 and Mark 12:18-27) are cited in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in the following sections:

993 The Pharisees and many of the Lord’s contemporaries hoped for the resurrection. Jesus teaches it firmly. To the Sadducees who deny it he answers, "Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?"542 Faith in the resurrection rests on faith in God who "is not God of the dead, but of the living."543
**
542. Mk 12:24**; cf. Jn 11:24; Acts 23:6.

**543. Mk 12:27.**

1619 Virginity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven is an unfolding of baptismal grace, a powerful sign of the supremacy of the bond with Christ and of the ardent expectation of his return, a sign which also recalls that marriage is a reality of this present age which is passing away.116

**116. Cf. Mk 12:25**; 1 Cor 7:31.

575 Many of Jesus’ deeds and words constituted a “sign of contradiction”,321 but more so for the religious authorities in Jerusalem, whom the Gospel according to John often calls simply “the Jews”,322 than for the ordinary People of God.323 To be sure, Christ’s relations with the Pharisees were not exclusively polemical. Some Pharisees warn him of the danger he was courting;324 Jesus praises some of them, like the scribe of Mark 12:34, and dines several times at their homes.325 Jesus endorses some of the teachings imparted by this religious elite of God’s people: the resurrection of the dead,326 certain forms of piety (almsgiving, fasting and prayer),**327 **the custom of addressing God as Father, and the centrality of the commandment to love God and neighbor.328

1. Lk 2:34.

1. Cf. Jn 1:19; 2:18; 5:10; 7:13; 9:22; 18:12; 19:38; 20:19.

1. Jn 7:48-49.

1. Cf Lk 13:31.

1. Cf. Lk 7:36; 14:1.

326. Cf. Mt 22:23-34; Lk 20:39.

1. Cf. Mt 6:18.
   **
2. Cf. Mk 12:28-34.**

581 The Jewish people and their spiritual leaders viewed Jesus as a rabbi.340 He often argued within the framework of rabbinical interpretation of the Law.341 Yet Jesus could not help but offend the teachers of the Law, for he was not content to propose his interpretation alongside theirs but taught the people “as one who had authority, and not as their scribes”.342 In Jesus, the same Word of God that had resounded on Mount Sinai to give the written Law to Moses, made itself heard anew on the Mount of the Beatitudes.343 Jesus did not abolish the Law but fulfilled it by giving its ultimate interpretation in a divine way: "You have heard that it was said to the men of old. . . But I say to you. . ."344 With this same divine authority, he disavowed certain human traditions of the Pharisees that were “making void the word of God”.345

340. Cf Jn 11:28; 3:2; Mt 22:23-24, 34-36.

1. Cf. Mt 12:5; 9:12; Mk 2:23-27; Lk 6:6-9; Jn 7:22-23.

1. Mt 7:28-29.

1. Cf. Mt 5:1.

1. Mt 5:33-34.

1. Mk 7:13; cf. 3:8.

330 As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.190
**
190. Cf. Pius XII, Humani generis: ds 3891; Lk 20:36**; Dan 10:9-12.

 

[Fidelis]

Some questions on the Gospel Reading for personal reflection:

* In the Gospel Reading, why would the Sadducees pose a question like this to Jesus? What are they really asking him? How do the scribes respond to Jesus’ answer (verse 39-40)? Why?

* How seriously does Jesus treat this absurd question? What if he had ridiculed it?

* How do you deal with someone who wants to argue about religion? What if the person has honest questions and you don’t have the answer?

* What does Jesus teach about life after death (verses 34-36)? How does he then “prove” the resurrection (note the verb tense in his quote from Exodus 3:6 and recall when this burning bush incident took place)?

* How do you picture the resurrection, or the life to come? What, if anything, in your personal experience has confirmed your belief in life after death?

* Does your belief in the world to come affect your priorities? Should it? How?