Scripture Reflection

Both Isaiah and Matthew today focus on our lack of knowledge of God, and our mis-placed self-reliance. The issue for us is not whether we should pay taxes (or if it is patriotic), but that we have to ask the question. To Jesus, the question of taxes was no question at all. The issue was whether we know the God who has called us by name and subdued nations. The Pharisees didn’t, and they should have.

Before Vatican II we never read from the prophets as we do now. The bishops at the Council thought that we Catholics knew too little about the Bible, so they added the first reading from the Old Testament. They also added two more cycles of readings, so the readings repeat every three years instead of every year. But Pope Benedict thinks that we still know too little of the Bible, and so the Synod of Bishops going on now was called to talk about the Bible. Before Vatican II, we read the first reading from the New Testament letters, but we didn’t read First Thessalonians, as we are beginning to today. However, there are still only selections, and this year the cycle is interrupted by All Souls and the Dedication of St. John Lateran.

But the Bishops don’t think that merely hearing it on Sunday is enough. Perhaps we could support the Synod’s purpose by reading all of this letter at home over the next few weeks. First Thessalonians was the first book written of what is now the New Testament, even before the Gospels were written, so it is the earliest glimpse of the Church we can find. Surely such a short letter should be better known, and would help us to know Jesus through the eyes of St. Paul.

Drew Rutz, Music Ministry Director