For the past several weeks the first reading assigned for each day has been taken from the Old Testament prophets. The liturgy will be looking at the letters of St. Paul for the next several weeks. Today’s selection is from the second epistle of Paul to the Church in Thessalonica, a city in northern Greece. This epistle is very different both in tone and language from the first letter to that Church and, in fact, says that it is coming from “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.” This causes some to question Paul was the actual author or more the inspiration behind the writing. It seems to reflect a more settled Church than the rolling thunder that characterized Paul’s first missionary journeys. Hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. This demonstrates how quickly the Church developed “traditions” that were held in common by all believers. The dynamism of the early preaching needed the structure required of life together.
AUGUST2506
By Church Staff
