GRACE AND PEACE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 21st Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Grace and Peace.”

Today’s first reading from 2nd Thessalonians begins with Paul, Silvanus and Timothy wishing the people in the Church of Thessalonica grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A thought for us for today: to wish everyone “grace and peace”.

When you are driving or walking or looking around – look at people and wish them inwardly, “Grace and Peace.”

Wish them grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

MEANING OF THE WORDS
Grace means a lot of things. It’s very wide ranging. It basically means gift or gifted. When we say someone is graceful, we picture them as smooth, talented, gifted, doing things with ease – without effort – like an ice skater gliding across the ice – like a baseball center fielder running and catching the ball – with ease – a piece of cake – knowing we’d trip and fall and never get to the ball.

We picture Mary as “full of grace” – pregnant with God – filled with such a wonderful personality - that God chose her to be the Mother of his Son, Jesus.

Grace – “charis” in Greek – from which we have the words “charism” or “charisma”.

In theology and spirituality – it means that a person is free – free from the stress of sin and the law. [Cf. Romans chapters 5 to 7.]

Paul who was a Pharisee was graced by God – to be knocked to the ground – hit bottom – be blinded – be in the dark – till God opened his eyes to what true life, true religion, true love is.

In today’s gospel we have a portrait of the scribes and Pharisees – practicing a religion of stress, law, picky, picky, iddy, biddy, obligation, obligation.

Did Jesus say what he said in today’s gospel with a sneer or a smile? I don’t know. I would hope it was with a smile and laughter – in hopes his listeners would laugh at themselves.

Listen again to what he said to us today,

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land
to make one convert,
and when that happens
you make him a child of Gehennatwice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,‘
If one swears by the temple,
it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple,
one is obligated.’

Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar,
it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar,
one is obligated.’

You blind ones, which is greater,
the gift, or the altar
that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar
swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple
swears by it and by him
who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven
swears by the throne of Godand by him who is seated on it.”
Once more I ask, “Did Jesus say that with a sneer or a smile, caustically or gracefully.

The second word is peace.

The Greek word is “eirene”.

The English word “irenic” – means, conducive to or operating toward peace and conciliation. We don’t use that word. We use the word, “Peace”.

I did notice that the name, "Irene" – means – peaceful – that Irena was the goddess of peace in Greek mythology.

CONCLUSION

So a prayer for each day – and a wish for all people: grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.