Wednesday of 21st Week, Year II: reflection
Theme: Idleness is
against our Christian calling
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Reading: 2 Thess.
3:6–10,16–18
When St Paul preached the good news of Jesus’
second coming to the Thessalonians, the intensity and conviction with which he proclaimed
the message, as well as the interpretations given to it by his disciples, elicited some unexpected and undesirable reactions among his hearers. Two among
them were widespread fear among Christians and the resolve not to work again
since the 2nd coming was judged to be imminent and would come with disaster
that will wipe away everything on earth.
With the decision to stop further works, many
Thessalonians became idle, folded their arms, and embarked only on prayers every
day in preparation for the last day. In today’s first reading, St Paul wrote to
these Thessalonians urging them to go back to their daily work while at the
same time practicing their faith until the Lord comes back.
Dear friends, lying down in the church from morning
till night, flying from one adoration centre or ministry to another from Monday
till Sunday for prophecies of divine breakthroughs, prosperity and knowledge of
the exact date of the end-time, and neglecting to commit ourselves to good services/works
for our material wellbeing will be detrimental to both our spiritual and
physical natures.
Waiting for manna from above in the name of
miracles of material prosperity without making personal efforts to use the strength
and talents given to us by God to provide our daily manna or improve our
material world is against our Christian calling. St Paul warned that he who
refuses to work should not eat.
We should remember that even monks and nuns who
have committed themselves to contemplative life also engage in agricultural
works to feed themselves and to share with the needy around them. Most of them
produce the bread and wine we use at Mass and other sacramentals and religious
items for use in the Church. They do not simply fold their hands morning and
night in prayers, waiting for heaven to provide their material needs.
As we run from one prayer ministry or adoration
centre to another, let us not forget to make personal efforts in our businesses
or to set up one, or to acquire a skill; let us not neglect the works of our
hands, because grace builds on nature.
May your Wednesday be
fruitful. Amen
Fr Isaac Chima
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