Sunday Scripture Readings: Studies and Meditations, October 31

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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, we hear about the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus, the chief tax-collector of Jericho. This Sunday is the 31st 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 - Wisdom 11:22-12:1

The Book of Wisdom, or Wisdom of Solomon as it is called in some translations of the Bible, is believed to have been written in Greek, in Alexandria, around 50 B.C… Although the book itself claims that it was written by Solomon, it was in fact written some 870 years later with the author, in order to highlight the importance of the work, using the prestige of Solomon, the greatest of the wise men of Israel. This attribution to another is called “pseudonimity” and was also used in the book of Ecclesiastes.

The author abominates any kind of polytheism and is proud to belong to a “holy and blameless race.” The first part of the book (chapters 1 - 5) is prophetic in style and somewhat Hebraic in the concepts it uses. It exhorts people to practice righteousness and sincerely seek God. The second part (chapters 6 - 9) concentrates on the source of wisdom and the need to obtain wisdom. The third part (chapters 10 - 19), from which our reading today comes, speaks of the magnificence of wisdom as demonstrated by the history of the chosen people (the immediate context–Chapter 11, verses 2-21-- is the God’s punishment of the Egyptians and his saving discipline of God’s people, which showed both the mercy and power of God). Today we hear that God spares men because He loves them.

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

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance
or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;
and you overlook people’s sins that they may repent.
For you love all things that are
and loathe nothing that you have made;
for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it;
or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?
But you spare all things, because they are yours,
O LORD and lover of souls,
for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little,
warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing,
that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

 

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From the *Navarre Bible Commentary *(with RSV-CE text):

God, Almighty and Merciful
--------------------------
[22] Because the whole world before thee is like a speck that tips the scales, and like a drop of morning dew that falls upon the ground. [23] But thou art merciful to all, for thou canst do all things, and thou dost overlook men’s sins, that they may repent, [24] For thou lovest all things that exist, and hast loathing for none of the things which thou hast made, for thou wouldst not have made anything if thou hadst hated it. [25] How would anything have endured if thou hadst not willed it? Or how would anything not called forth by thee have been preserved?

[26] Thou sparest all things, for they are thine, 0 Lord who lovest the living.

[1] For thy immortal spirit is in all things. [2] Therefore thou dost correct little by little those who trespass, dost remind and warn them of the things wherein they sin, that they may be freed from wickedness and put their trust in thee, 0 Lord.

**11:21-12:2. **The lessons given here about God’s steadfast love and mercy towards all created things are not anything new, of course (cf. Hos 6:4-6; Jon 3:1-4:11), but maybe they were never quite as forcefully put as here (especially vv. 23-26), and the style of sapiential argument spells out very well the universal range of God’s mercy towards sinful man and the love that is at work in creation and in its conservation. St Thomas deals with this subject with his typical clarity: God would never have created something which he would then not love, for it derives from him and participates in his supreme goodness, even if only to a tiny degree: “God loves all living things. He does not love in the same way as we do, for our will does not make things good; human love is a movement of the will towards its object …]; the love of God creates and fills all things with goodness” (“Summa Theologiae”, 1, 20, 2).

Therefore, when God punishes man, as he sometimes does, his intention is always one of love and mercy. It is this divine purpose that 11:23-26 takes pleasure in showing to be all-encompassing: God is all-powerful; nothing, no one, can resist him; his mercy does not stem from any weakness on his part; it is the effect of love: he loves the living.

Origen used this passage to draw lessons about God’s all-embracing love: “Because we are his children, the Lord encourages us to develop the same attitude, and teaches us to do good works for all mankind. For that is why he is called the ‘savior of all people, especially of those who believe in him’ (1 Tim 4:10), and his Christ the ‘expiation of our sins, and the sins of the whole world’ (1 Jn 2:2)” (“Contra Celsum”, 4, 28).

St Gregory the Great, in his homilies to the people of Rome, exhorted them to appreciate God’s unlimited love for sinners: “Here we read that he appeals to all those who are stained with sin, and cries out to all those who have abandoned him. Let us not spurn the hand of mercy that he holds out to us; let us not fail to see the great value of the love the Lord has for us. In his kindness he calls out to those who have lost their way, and he prepares a place for us, for when we return to his heart of mercy. Let each person consider the debt that weighs him down–and all the while God waits and never loses his patience with us. Let those who chose not to stay with him return to him; let those who failed to appreciate his love stand close by his side, so that they may be raised up” (“Homiliae in Evangelia”, 33).

The passage also underlines God’s loving providence towards all created beings. The “Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 301 puts it as follows: “With creation, God does not abandon his creatures to themselves. He not only gives them being and existence, but also, and at every moment, upholds and sustains them in being, enables them to act and bring them to their final end. Recognizing this utter dependence with respect to the Creator is a source of wisdom and freedom, of joy and confidence.”

 

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From the Douay Rheims Version, with 1869 Haydock Commentary:

22 For great power always belonged to thee alone: and who shall resist the strength of thy arm?
23 For the whole world before thee is as the least grain of the balance, and as a drop of the morning dew, that falleth down upon the earth.
24 But thou hast mercy upon all, because thou canst do all things, and overlookest the sins of men for the sake of repentance.

Ver. 24. Repentance. If people neglect to reform their conduct in this world, they must expect to be treated with all severity in the other.

25 For thou lovest all things that are, and hatest none of the things which thou hast made: for thou didst not appoint, or make any thing hating it.

Ver. 25.* It.* Sin and disorder is the work of man, deserving hatred. (Calmet) — God created nothing evil, nor is there any but one God, as the Manichees pretended. (Worthington)

26 And how could any thing endure, if thou wouldst not? or be preserved, if not called by thee.

Ver. 26. Called. Into existence, or into its proper place, Romans iv. 17.

27 But thou sparest all: because they are thine, O Lord, who lovest souls.

Ver. 27. All. Awaiting their amendment, and unwilling to destroy thy creatures, chap. xii. 10. Hence thou didst not exterminate the Egyptians at once. (Calmet)

1 O how good and sweet is thy Spirit, O Lord, in all things!

**Ver. 1. **O *how. *Septuagint, “for incorruptible is thy Spirit;” which St. Athanasius (ad Serap.) adduces as a proof of the Holy Ghost’s divinity. (Calmet) — God loves the soul of man. (Grotius)

2 And therefore thou chastisest them that err, by little and little: and admonishest them, and speakest to them, concerning the things wherein they offend: that leaving their wickedness, they may believe in thee, O Lord.

 

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Other thoughts on the First Reading:

22 Indeed, before you the whole universe is as a grain from a balance: A grain is a tiny particle used for weighing in scales. One would hardly—if at all— move the scale.

**or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth: **A tiny thing scarcely noticeable or with effect. So tiny is the whole universe in relation to the God who created it.

23 But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things: He is interested and benevolent to all his creatures, because he is all-powerful (see Psalm 145:9). Men can be merciful but their mercy is limited because their power is limited, but God is infinite.
**
and you overlook the sins of men that they may repent:** God does not punish men immediately for their sins. He wants them to repent and so gives them time to do so.

24 For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned: God loves all that he has created. There is goodness in all his creatures, he created nothing that was evil in itself.

25 And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?: God not only created all that exists but he sustains all. Whatever exists is due to God’s creation and his providence.
**
26 But you spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls: **God spares, keeps in existence, all creation. It belongs to him and he loves all that exists. “Lover of life” is the translation in the JB, RSV. and NEB translations.
**
1 for your imperishable spirit is in all things!: **This refers either to wisdom as the agent of God’s immanence or to the breath of life put in creatures by God.
**
2 Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them, and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!: **God, whose power is irresistible and who is therefore free of constraint, loves the things that His creative power has made, for only love can explain His having created and preserved them. Because of His love, He pardons them and is patient in their regard so that they might repent (see 1 Tim 2:4 and 2 Pet 3:9).

 

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References to the First Reading found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church include:

"You are merciful to all, for you can do all things"108

270 God is the Father Almighty, whose fatherhood and power shed light on one another: God reveals his fatherly omnipotence by the way he takes care of our needs; by the filial adoption that he gives us (“I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty”):109 finally by his infinite mercy, for he displays his power at its height by freely forgiving sins.

108. Wis 11:23.

1. 2 Cor 6:18; cf. Mt 6:32.

**God upholds and sustains creation.

301** With creation, God does not abandon his creatures to themselves. He not only gives them being and existence, but also, and at every moment, upholds and sustains them in being, enables them to act and brings them to their final end. Recognizing this utter dependence with respect to the Creator is a source of wisdom and freedom, of joy and confidence:

*For you love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that you have made; for you would not have made anything if you had hated it. How would anything have endured, if you had not willed it? Or how would anything not called forth by you have been preserved? You spare all things, for they are yours, O Lord, you who love the living.***160**

**
160. Wis 11:24-26.**

373 In God’s plan man and woman have the vocation of “subduing” the earth248 as stewards of God. This sovereignty is not to be an arbitrary and destructive domination. God calls man and woman, made in the image of the Creator “who loves everything that exists”,249 to share in his providence toward other creatures; hence their responsibility for the world God has entrusted to them.

1. Gen 1:28.
   **
2. Wis 11:24.**

 

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In the First Reading, the writer of the Book of Wisdom tells us that God is mindful and cares for the least of his Creation, and extends mercy to all who would accept it. How does this apply to Zacchaeus in our Gospel reading? How does it apply to you? How do you apply it to others?

Here is a meditation for practical application from Catholic Matters:

**APPLICATION: **This lesson which we have just heard read from the book of Wisdom, should pull us up sharply and make us think of what we puny men are, and what God is. He tells us the whole universe, which to us is immense, is only like a grain of dust when compared with God. We know that this little planet of ours called “earth,” is only like one grain of sand in the Sahara desert compared with the whole universe. Then on this earth, the whole human race is, in size and bulk, only a tiny fraction of this planet. What are we then, in comparison with God?

Yet, we are something and something important, because the infinite God so willed it. He loves all his creation. It was out of love that he created it. Man, the highest of his earthly creatures, his masterpiece, is loved by God in a special, personal way. He has given us the powers by means of which we can get to know him and love him in our own little limited way. Limited and puny though our love and gratitude are, he willingly accepts all, and has an eternal reward in store for those of us who will show him this limited love and gratitude.

At the same time, he knows and understands how fickle and faltering that love of ours can be. His infinite mercy is ever there at our disposal. When we sin, as unfortunately we can and do, his mercy does not let him send the immediate punishment which we so richly deserve. He “overlooks the sins of men,” that is, he restrains his justice “so that they may repent.” He gives us time to realize how wrong we were, how ungrateful we were to him who gave us all we have, and that realization of our unworthiness and wickedness would make us turn to him and ask for pardon.

The author of the book of Wisdom, who wrote fifty or so years before Christ was born, shows a deep appreciation of all that God has done and continues to do for all creation, but especially for man, who is less than a speck of dust in comparison with his Creator. What if he had known of the Incarnation, if he knew all we know now of God’s infinite love which made him send his Son on earth in order to bring all men to heaven? What, if he knew, as we know, that the Son of God would die an excruciating and shameful death on the cross so that we might live eternally? He did not know all of this proof of God’s infinite and almost incredible love of God for us. Yet, he knew enough to try to make some return to God for his love for us, and to urge his fellow-men to do likewise.

How much greater, therefore, should be our efforts to return all the love of which we are capable to our loving Creator and Savior. We know that not only did he create us and give us all the gifts we possess. He has raised us through the Incarnation to divine son-ship and made us heirs to his eternal kingdom. How could any reasonable and decent man refuse to do the little that God asks of him, especially when he thinks of all that God has done for him? It is hard to imagine an intelligent creature, like man, being so ungrateful, so mean, as to offend by sinning, the greatest benefactor that ever was. Furthermore, it is almost incredible that intelligent man could be so foolish as to risk his eternal, unending happiness, for the sake of some passing pleasure or possession.

Yet, this does happen. Man can get so blinded by pride or passion that he forgets God and his own real welfare. He does things that insult and offend God. He shuts the door of eternal happiness in his own face. However, thanks be to his infinite mercy God is ever ready to give sinners a chance of repentance. While we should all strive to avoid every sin and serve God out of gratitude and love, let us not forget that should we, unfortunately, prove at times ungrateful and shamefully forgetful of our greatest Benefactor, his mercy is ever there to forgive us and bring us back once more to his friendship. Let us remember to ask for that mercy.

If any man dies in sin and excludes himself from heaven, the fault will be his, and his alone. He refused to avail himself of the infinite mercy of God.

 

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2nd Reading - 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2

Today we begin our study of Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians.

Accompanied by Silas, St. Paul arrived at Thessalonica in the course of his second apostolic journey (AD 49-52) after leaving Philippi around the summer of the year 50.

Thessalonica, now known as Salonica, is situated on the Aegean Sea and was a flourishing center of trade in St. Pauls time. Founded in 315 B.C. by Cassander, who named it after his wife, a sister of Alexander the Great, the city came under the Romans in 186 B.C… As far as religion was concerned it was a typical pagan city. Archaeology has unearthed the remains of many statues of gods and priestesses which give an idea of the religious practices of the Thessalonians. Inscriptions discovered indicate that they were very ignorant of religious truth and had no clear view of the survival of the soul after death.

There were quite a number of Jews living in Thessalonica. In keeping with his custom, St. Paul went first to the synagogue to proclaim the good news: Jesus was the messiah, the Old Testament prophecies had come true in Him, He had redeemed mankind by His passion and resurrection. We know that he preached in the synagogue on three successive Sabbaths (Acts 17:2) but he may have stayed there for as long as two months, lodging in the house of Jason. As a result of his preaching many Jews and Gentiles came to believe, including “not a few of the leading women” (Acts 17:4). His success earned him the envy of certain Jews, who organized demonstrations and attacked Jason’s house, looking for Paul and Silas. Not finding them, they brought Jason before the city authorities and he had to go bail for the two apostles (Acts 17:5-9). This led to St. Paul and his companions leaving the city in a hurry the same night-- going first to Beroea (Acts 17:10) and later to Athens (Acts 17:15).

Paul’s unexpected departure from Thessalonica meant that the instruction of the recent converts was cut short; also their situation became difficult due to persecution by the Jews. This led the apostle to send Timothy to confirm them in the faith (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2) and bring back news of them.

Timothy caught up with Paul in Corinth and gave him a good report of the Thessalonians: they were persevering in faith and charity, despite still being harassed. Timothy also reported that certain questions were troubling the Thessalonians-- things to do with life after death, and the second coming.

The apostle wrote the first letter, which he sent via Timothy, to complete his interrupted preaching and teaching. It had the effect of reassuring the Thessalonians about the fate of those who had already died in the Lord. However, some did not understand him correctly; some so misunderstood him in fact that they began to give up working (2 Thessalonians 3:11). When Paul heard of this he wrote the second letter to clear up the misunderstanding.

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

Brothers and sisters:
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.

We ask you, brothers and sisters,
with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling with him,
not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed
either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement,
or by a letter allegedly from us
to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.

 

[Fidelis]

As St. Paul’s writings can sometimes be a little dense to keep track of for some people, I’ve found that it is sometimes helpful to break it into smaller pieces (or “chart”) to more clearly get the sense of what he is saying. The first part of the Second reading can thus be looked at this way:

We [Paul, Silvanus and Timothy–see 2 Thess 1:1] always pray for you,

in order that:
…our God may make you worthy of his calling

and
…powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith,

so that:
…that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,

and:
…you [be glorified] in him,

by what power or means?:
…in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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From the Navarre Bible Commentary (with RSV-CE text):

Prayer for Perseverance
-----------------------
[11] To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by his power,

11. S t. Paul takes up the thread of the prayer he began in v. 4, asking God to keep the believers true to their calling. He himself is very good example of how teachers of Christian doctrine should approach their work; he does not confine himself to expounding the truths of faith: the first step he takes is to pray for his work to be fruitful. St. Augustine observes that anyone who wants to teach the word of God “tries as far as possible to make his words understandable, pleasing and persuasive. But he should be convinced that if he is to obtain a good result it will be due more to the piety of his prayers than to his gifts of speech. And so, praying for those he is to address, he should be more a supplicant than a speaker. When the time comes for him to speak, before actually doing so he should raise his parched soul to God that he may utter only what he has himself eaten and drunk” (“Christian Instruction”, 4, 15).

The Apostle asks God to make the Thessalonians “worthy of his call”, that their efforts should have the support of divine grace, for no supernatural action can be planned, begun or brought to a conclusion without the grace of God (cf. Boniface II, “Per Filium Nostrum,
Dz-Sch”, 399). Hence the liturgical prayer: “Lord, be the beginning and end of all that we do and say. Prompt our actions with your grace, and complete them with your all-powerful help” (“Liturgy of the Hours”, Morning Prayer, Monday Week 1).

[12] so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

12. The Greek formula here translated as “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” could also be interpreted as “according to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ”–in which case we would have here a confession of christological faith which would be of enormous value on account of its antiquity. It would be an acknowledgment of Christ being both God (“Theos”) and Lord (“Kyrios”), that is, “Iesus Christus, Dominus et Deus noster”. However, the expression “our God” often appears in Pauline writings (cf., in this very chapter, vv. 2 and 11); he also frequently uses the formula “Lord Jesus Christ”. This suggests that there is a distinction between “our God” and “the Lord Jesus Christ” (or even “our Lord Jesus Christ”); hence the preferred translation.

The Coming of the Lord
----------------------
[1] Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, [2] not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has
come.
**
1-2. **The main theme of the letter is given here–the timing of the second coming of the Lord. Some people had been unsettling the minds of the Thessalonians by saying that the Parousia was about to happen. The phrase “by spirit” is a reference to people claiming to have a charismatic gift of prophecy from the Holy Spirit who were spreading their own ideas as if they came from God. Others preferred to pass off what they had to say as coming from St. Paul (orally or in writing). Those who try to mislead the people of God by teachings contrary to Christian faith often use methods of the same sort. By twisting the meaning of Sacred Scripture (cf. Mt 4:6) they not infrequently promote wrong teaching as if it were a revelation from the Holy Spirit. The Second Vatican Council has reminded us how to identify subjective interpretation of that kind: “The task of giving an authentic interpretation, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ” (“Dei Verbum”, 10).

Even in our own day there are sects and impressionable people who put a lot of effort into working out when the second coming will take place, sometimes making specific predictions which the passage of time disproves. They are missing the main point, which is that we should be always on the watch, always ready to joyfully meet the Lord. “To the effect that the day of the Lord has come”: this is literally what the Greek says–or “as if the day of the Lord is here”, in the sense of “about to come any minute now”. The New Vulgate [and the Navarre Spanish: trs.] translate it as “as if the day of the Lord were imminent”, which is faithful to the tenor of the text and reads more clearly.

 

[Fidelis]

Douay Rheims translation with the 1869 Haydock commentary:

11 Wherefore also we pray always for you: that our God would make you worthy of his calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith in power,
**
Ver. 11.** Wherefore, also we pray, &c. By the Greek, the sense and construction cannot be in, or on which day; and therefore it must be referred to what was said before, that God should be glorified in his saints, and so may be translated, on which account we pray, &c. that Christ may be glorified in you, being made saints by his grace, &c. (Witham)

12 That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ver. 12. That the name of our Lord, &c. The name of God is glorified by the virtuous lives of Christians, but more especially by that constancy and firmness evinced by the faithful under the hands of the executioner. It is an act of the most perfect charity, to lay down our lives in defence of his truths and the glory of his name, and the most disinterested testimony of our allegiance to him. Nothing appeared more admirable than the constancy of the first Christians, and nothing contributed more to the conversion of the Gentiles than the firmness with which they maintained, even in death, the truths that had been taught them. For, said they, this religion is certainly true, since there is nothing they are not willing to suffer in defence of it. (Calmet) — And you in him, &c. If Christians are any way instrumental in procuring the glory of God, let them not attribute it to themselves, but to God alone, form whom comes every gift. If they procure his glory before men, he at the day of final retribution will clothe them with never-fading robes of immortality, in the presence of men and Angels. If it be glorious for God to be adored by such faithful servants, it is much more glorious for Christians to be rewarded by such a Master: for it is the glory of a servant to be faithful to his master, and the glory of the master to recompense his servant. (Estius, Grotius, Theophylactus, &c.)

1 And we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together unto him:

Ver. 1. And we, &c. Some impostors had taken occasion from St. Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians, to teach that the day of judgment was at hand. The apostle here maintains that it certainly will come, but that it will come like a thief in the night. He says nothing of the time when it is to arrive; he merely refutes those who spoke of its taking place immediately. — By the coming, &c. Grotius and some others explain this coming, of the vengeance he took on the Jews by the arms of the Romans. It is true he speaks in many places of the destruction of Jerusalem, and of his coming at the last day, in terms exactly the same. But the context of the whole epistle demonstrates that he is here speaking of the last day. (Calmet) — And of our gathering together unto him. Literally, of our congregation unto him. That is, that you be not moved by any pretended revelation, nor by any words or letter, as spoken or written by me. (Witham)
*
2 That you be not easily moved from your sense, nor be terrified, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by epistle, as sent from us, as if the day of the Lord were at hand.*

Ver. 2. St. Augustine, writing to Hesychium, declareth that no one from the Scripture can be assured of the day, year, or age[century] when the second coming shall be. (ep. lxxx.) Let us attend to what St. Augustine declares he had learnt from the first Church authorities. “At the last judgment, or about that time, will arrive Elias, the Thesbite, the conversion of the Jews, the persecution of antichrist, the coming of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the separation of the good from the bad, the conflagration of the world, and the renovation of the same: that these things will arrive, we are to believe, but in what manner and in what order experience will teach better than reason. It is my opinion that they will come in the order I have related them.” (De Civ. Dei. lib. xx. cap. ultra) That the man of sin will be born of the Jewish tribe of Dan, that he will cruelly persecute the faithful for three years and a half, that he will put to death Henoch[Enoch] and Elias, and that great, very great, will be the apostacy, is the general belief. Oh! God, preserve us with thy grace, and do not permit us to lose sight of the dreadful danger that threatens even the elect.

 

[Fidelis]

Some other thoughts on the Second Reading:

**
11 To this end, we always pray for you:** Paul never forgot his converts. When he could not visit them to exhort them, he wrote to them. He interceded with God for them always.

**that our God may make you worthy of his calling: ** The Christian faith which they had, was God’s gift to them, God’s vocation for them. Its reward is eternal. They must try to be worthy of it.
**
and powerfully bring to fulfillment: ** If, aided by God’s grace, they live the Christian life as Paul had instructed them to do, they will make themselves worthy of the divine vocation which they had received.

every good purpose: Literally, “resolve of goodness.” God gives the initial grace, and St. Paul prays that it will be followed through.

**and every effort of faith: **Moral fulfillment depends on God’s own power. It is His grace that will make the faithful worthy of the Father’s call. Accordingly, this fulfillment will amount to mutual glorification at the parousia of their intimate personal relationship to the Lord Jesus.
**
12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him: **Every loyal Christian who lives according to his Christian faith, shows forth the result of Christ’s life, death and resurrection in his own life and thus gives external glory to Christ who is God.

in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ: Several times St. Paul mentions the close relationship between the Father and the Son in his Thessalonian letters (1:1-2; 2:16; 1 Thess 1:1; 3:11).

The Christian faith, the consequence and fruit of the Incarnation, is the gracious gift of God’s infinite love for men. It was brought about by the Blessed Trinity but in a special way by the Son, who humbled himself and took our human nature. He is Lord, that is, God, and he is Jesus Christ, that is, man, because of his Incarnation.

1 We ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him: Paul now refers to the question that was causing disturbance amongst the Thessalonians—the Second coming of Christ and the end of the world. He appeals for sober judgment about Christ’s triumphal coming, which he regards not as a date, but as the fulfillment of Christian life.

*“When the resurrection will be, he has not said: ‘It will come in due order’; he has said ‘and our assembling with him.’ This point is quite important. Observe how Paul’s exhortation is accompanied by praise and encouragement, for he makes it clear that Jesus and all the saints will certainly appear at that time with us.” * [Saint John Chrysostom (between A.D. 398-404), Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians 3]

**2 not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly: **Sort of a panic or mania, if you would, about the coming of the end time. The Greek verb form of this word (sometimes translated as “unsettled”) was often used to describe a ship adrift from its moorings and suggests a lack of stability.

**or to be alarmed: **Jesus issued a similar instruction when talking about the End, using the same verb (Mark 13:7).

**either by a “spirit”: **A charismatic gift of prophecy.
**
or by an oral statement: ** Literally, “a word.” May be a statement of St. Paul’s which was misunderstood, or wrongly attributed to him.

**or by a letter allegedly from us: **A forged letter. Evidently, somebody had pretended that a letter had come from St. Paul in which the proximate advent of the parousia—the Second Coming— had been affirmed.

to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand:

*“Therefore, not to know the times is something different from moral decay and the love of vice. For when the apostle Paul said ‘Don’t be shaken out of your minds suddenly or be alarmed either by a spirit, or an oral statement, or a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand,’ he obviously did not want them to believe those who thought the coming of the Lord was already at hand. Neither, moreover, did he want them to be like the wicked servant and say, ‘My Lord will not be coming for a long time,’ and deliver themselves over to destruction by pride and immoral behavior. Thus Paul’s desire that they should not listen to false rumors about the imminent approach of the last day was consistent with his wish that they should await the coming of their Lord fully prepared and ready for the journey, with lamps burning.” *[Saint Augustine of Hippo (ca. A.D. 418), Letters 199,1.2]

 

[Fidelis]

The Second Reading is cited in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in section 2636:

**2636 **The first Christian communities lived this form of fellowship intensely.116 Thus the Apostle Paul gives them a share in his ministry of preaching the Gospel117 but also intercedes for them.118 The intercession of Christians recognizes no boundaries: “for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions,” for persecutors, for the salvation of those who reject the Gospel.119

1. Cf. Acts 12:5; 20:36; 21:5; 2 Cor 9:14.

1. Cf. Eph 6:18-20; Col 4:3-4; 1 Thes 5:25.

118. Cf. 2 Thes 1:11; Col 1:3; Phil 1:3-4.

1. 2 Tim 2:1; cf. Rom 12:14; 10:1.

 

[Fidelis]

Some questions for personal reflection:

—According to verse 1:11, how does God fulfill our resolves and good works of faith? Why are good resolutions and good works (even ones done in faith) not enough by themselves?

—What are the gifts that St. Paul prays that God may bless the Thessalonians with? What power is going to supply these gifts?

—Possessed of these gifts, what event does Paul warn them not to become preoccupied with? What did Jesus warn us about these events (Matthew 24:36)?

 

[Fidelis]

Here is a meditation for practical application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: We have the same duty as the Thessalonians, namely, to try to make ourselves worthy of the Christian faith which God has so generously given us. This Christian faith is the one and only true explanation of our existence here on earth. Our reason tells us that we were created (whether directly or by a long evolutionary process, it matters not) by an all-intelligent, all-powerful Being, who must be the uncaused Cause of all that exists. Our reason tells us also that an all-intelligent Being would not have given us the marvellous spiritual faculties which we have, with the innate desire for lasting happiness, unless we could continue to exercise these faculties and enjoy that desired and lasting bliss. To create man with powers that raise him above all other creatures on earth and enable him to be the master of all the other creatures, and yet let him end as a little heap of dust in the grave, could hardly be the act of an intelligent and loving Creator.

Reason then demands a different end for man. Divine revelation has stepped in and informed man that the Creator has an even more sublime end for him, greater even than that which his reason would expect. The Chosen People of Old Testament times had some idea of the sublime purpose which God had for man. It was only when the fullness of revelation was given us through Christ, however, that we could fully realize that our omnipotent Creator and loving Father, had (before creation began) planned that man would come to share in his eternal happiness and become his adopted sons, through his divine Son’s becoming man and sharing our lowly human nature with us.

This is what our Christian faith is. It not only gives us a new knowledge of the infinitely loving God; it gives us a new status in relation to God. We are still his creatures. We are special creatures because Baptism has made us potential citizens of heaven. We must strive, therefore, to make ourselves worthy of this sublime vocation. The few years given us in this life are years most valuable, for by the proper use of them we can earn for ourselves an unending life of happiness. Earthly death then has no terror for the sincere Christian. It is not the end but the beginning. It is the door which opens into eternal life.

How many of us are sincere Christians? How many are really trying to make ourselves worthy of that “gracious gift of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” to us—the cherished, Christian faith? There has been, there are, and there will be, alas, Christians who had a passport to heaven but who through vice and worldliness threw that passport away. Please God, their number is very small, for God’s mercy and grace can and does turn the vicious from their vices and the worldly from their worldliness.

Let us all ask God for a lot of mercy and grace. Let us examine our outlook on this life and on the next. Our Christian faith does not forbid us to have and use the gifts God has put on this earth. In fact he wants us to use them and earn our livelihood. St. Paul reprimanded those who spent their days in idleness because they thought the end of the world was imminent. We need not worry about when our end comes. If we are doing our best each day to live our Christian faith, we are insured for a happy death. This is one insurance policy that every true Christian can and should take out.

 

[Fidelis]

Gospel - Luke 19:1-10

As Jesus draws closer to Jerusalem and His passion, He continues to outrage the Pharisees by associating with people whom the Pharisees consider less than worthy–the poor, the afflicted, the sinners. Since to the Pharisees a man is known by the company he keeps, Jesus surely cannot be from God because His associates don’t keep all the ritual commandments. Today we hear the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector.

We have here another example of Jesus’ interests in the conversion of sinners. All tax-gatherers were reputed to be extortioners and the Roman system of tax-collecting encouraged injustice. This man, Zacchaeus, was the chief of the tax-collectors in Jericho and probably more unjust than the others. Some special grace of God made him curious to see Jesus. He had heard of him evidently. This curiosity brought salvation not only to himself but to his whole household.

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

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”

 

[Fidelis]

From the Navarre Bible Commentary (with RSV-CE text):

The Conversion of Zacchaeus
-------------------------------------------

1-10. Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind; He has healed many sick people, has raised the dead to life and, particularly, has brought forgiveness of sin and the gift of grace to those who approach Him in faith. As in the case of the sinful woman (cf. Luke 7:36-50), here He brings salvation to Zacchaeus, for the mission of the Son of Man is to save that which was lost.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector and, as such, was hated by the people, because the tax collectors were collaborators of the Roman authorities and were often guilty of abuses. The Gospel implies that this man also had things to seek forgiveness for (cf. verses 7-10). Certainly he was very keen to see Jesus (no doubt moved by grace) and he did everything he could to do so. Jesus rewards his efforts by staying as a guest in his house. Moved by our Lord’s presence Zacchaeus begins to lead a new life.

The crowd begin to grumble against Jesus for showing affection to a man they consider to be an evildoer. Our Lord makes no excuses for his behavior: He explains that this is exactly why He has come – to seek out sinners. He is putting into practice the parable of the lost sheep (cf. Luke 15:4-7), which was already prophesied in Ezekiel: “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak” (34:16).

*[1] He (Jesus) entered Jericho and was passing through. [2] And there was a rich man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. [3] And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. [4] So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was to pass that way. *

4. Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus, and to do so he has to go out and mix with the crowd. Like the blind man of Jericho he has to shed any kind of human respect. In our own search for God we should not let false shame or fear of ridicule prevent us from using the resources available to us to meet our Lord. “Convince yourself that there is no such thing as ridicule for whoever is doing what is best” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 392).
*
[5] And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” [6] So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. *

5-6. This is a very good example of the way God acts to save men. Jesus calls Zacchaeus personally, using his name, suggesting he invite Him home. The Gospel states that Zacchaeus does so promptly and joyfully. This is how we should respond when God calls us by means of grace.

*[7] And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” [8] And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.” *

**8. **Responding immediately to grace, Zacchaeus makes it known that he will restore fourfold anything he obtained unjustly – thereby going beyond what is laid down in the Law of Moses (cf. Exodus 21:37f). And in generous compensation he gives half his wealth to the poor." Let the rich learn", St. Ambrose comments, “that evil does not consist in having wealth, but in not putting it to good use; for just as riches are an obstacle to evil people, they are also a means of virtue for good people” (“Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.”). Cf. note on Luke 16:9-11).

[9] And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”

10. Jesus’ ardent desire to seek out a sinner to save him fills us with hope of attaining eternal salvation. “He chooses a chief tax collector: who can despair when such a man obtains grace?” (St. Ambrose, “Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.”).

 

[Fidelis]

From the Douay Rheims Bible with 1859 Haydock Commentary:

Zacheus entertains Christ

*1 And entering in, he walked through Jericho.

2 And behold there was a man, by name Zacheus; and he was the chief of the publicans, and was rich.*

**Ver. 2. **What sinner can despair when he sees the Saviour of mankind seeking to save him; when he beholds even a publican and a rich man, at the same time, who, as our Saviour informs us in another place, are so seldom truly converted, brought to the light of faith, and the grace of a true conversion! (St. Ambrose) — Zacheus (who as a farmer of the customs, not a collector, as some falsely imagine) immediately hearkened to the interior voice of the Almighty, calling him to repentance; he made no delay, and therefore deserved immediately not only to see, but to eat, drink, and converse with Jesus. (St. Cyril) — Behold here the three steps of his conversion: 1. an ardent desire of seeing Jesus; 2. the honourable reception he gave him in his house; 3. the complete restitution of all ill-acquired property.

*3 And he sought to see Jesus, who he was: and he could not for the crowd, because he was low of stature.

4 And running before, he climbed up into a sycamore-tree, that he might see him: for he was to pass that way.

5 And when Jesus was come to the place, looking up, he saw him, and said to him: Zacheus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I must abide in thy house.

6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him with joy.

7 And when all saw it, they murmured, saying: That he was gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner.

8 But Zacheus standing, said to the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wronged any man of any thing, I restore him fourfold.

9 Jesus said to him: This day is salvation come to this house: because he also is a son of Abraham.*

Ver. 9. Zacheus is here styled a son of Abraham; i.e. his spiritual son, a partaker of the promises made to Abraham concerning the Messias: not that he was actually born of his seed, but because he imitated his faith; and as Abraham at the voice of God, left the land and house of his father; so Zacheus renounced his goods and possessions, by giving them to the poor. (Ven. Bede)

10 *For the Son of man is come to seek, and to save that which was lost.

 

[Fidelis]

Some other thoughts on the Gospel Reading:

**
1 He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town:** Jericho has the distinction of the being the site of the world’s oldest know city. Seventeen miles northeast of Jerusalem and known as the ‘City of Palms’ it was a popular summer resort for the nobility of antiquity, including Roman officials and the Herodian kings (Herod the Great died there after a long illness). Jesus is passing through this town on his way to Jerusalem.

**2 Now a man there named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man: **There is a progression of more detailed information here; first we are told there was a man, which is not remarkable.

Then we are told his name, which is unusual in the Gospels. Scholars think that since he was mentioned by name, this man must have been prominent or well-known to the early Christians (the name Zacchaeus means “pure” or “just”). His name indicates that he was a Jew, as most of the tax-collectors in Palestine were.

We are then told he was not only a tax-collector, but a *chief *tax-collector, meaning he had other tax-collectors working for him. As we heard last week, tax-collectors (sometimes called “publicans” after the Roman treasury, the publicani) were considered quislings and traitors since they worked for the occupying Romans, and thus were hated and regarded as unclean (because of their contact with Gentiles) and sinners. The tax collector received his funds from whatever “excess” tax he collected—over and above what had been levied. Furthermore, they made their profit by extortion and strong-arm methods.

Finally, we are told he was rich, no doubt becoming so from many years in this position and being an effective extortionist of both the people and his own employees. He was doubtless well known and deeply loathed by the citizens of Jericho.

**3 was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him: **Note the number of times the word “see” appears in this story. What episode occurred right before this one, when Jesus entered Jericho (see Luke 18:35-43)? What, metaphorically can this refer too?
**
because of the crowd: **The crowd can be symbolic of those who might stand in the way—or even discourage—those who sincerely want to “see” Jesus (as we’ll see in verse 7), even if they are merely curiosity seekers or hangers-on themselves. We don’t want to be the ones to impede others from coming to Christ by our own lukewarmness or lack of faith.
**
for he was short in stature: **The height of the average Palestinian Jew of the time was about 5-foot, 4-inches. Zacchaeus must have been very short in stature indeed!

4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way: A short trunk and wide lateral branches made it easy to climb. Still, it would have been undignified for a man of such prominence and wealth to be seen doing such a thing. This shows Zacchaeus’ eagerness to see Jesus, even at the cost of public ridicule.

5 When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”: Jesus addresses him familiarly by his name although he had not met him before. What is more, it is clear that he read his heart. Today; the waiting is over. God’s salvation is not something to be considered sometime in the future, it is already being inaugurated.
**
6 And he came down quickly and received him with joy:** He expected no such privilege. That this pious preacher, and wonderworker, should want to come to his house, of all the houses in Jericho, surely surprised him but he was delighted with the honor.

Continued on next post:

 

[Fidelis]

7 When they all saw this, they began to grumble: Or “murmur,” like the Israelites against Moses in the wilderness (see Exodus 16 and Numbers 14).
**
saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”:** This is a slur against both Jesus and Zacchaeus—against Jesus, because he is associating with unclean sinners, and against Zacchaeus for presuming to entertain a famous religious figure at his home.
**
8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.”: **There is controversy over these words being translated in the present tense: if one interprets the tense as futuristic, then Zacchaeus is saying he is no longer a sinner; he resolves to change his ways. If one views it as present tense, then Zacchaeus is arguing that he is not a sinner because it is his customary conduct to be generous and just. In this case Jesus, in verse 9, vindicates the good reputation of Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus goes way beyond the requirements of the law in restitution. Numbers 5:5-7 requires that full restitution plus 20 percent be returned.
**
9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house:** Because of Jesus’ offer to stay with Zacchaeus, his acceptance of Jesus, and his change of life, salvation has come to his entire household.
**
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham: **He was a son of Abraham by race but, up until that day, an unworthy son. Now, having repented, he becomes a true son of Abraham. Very probably, many of the murmurers in the crowd were not such true children of Abraham as he was showing himself to be.

**10 For the Son of Man: **Very frequently, Jesus uses this title of himself. It stresses his real humanity as well. He had come on earth to search for and give salvation to sinners. This is his answer to the murmurers.
**
has come to seek and to save what was lost.": **This brings to mind the three parables on finding what was lost that we had on the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (lost sheep, lost coin, prodigal son) and the joy which heaven celebrates when a repentant sinner returns (see Luke 15).