Pray Night and Day

Homily for Thursday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Once again we hear St. Paul express his gratitude to the Thessalonians for all that they have done for him and for his fellow missionaries and preachers.  The fact that the Thessalonians have remained faithful to the Gospel that he has preached gives him encouragement in his arduous journeys and the dangers he encounters in his mission.  In return he prays for them night and day and hopes that he will be able to see them when and if he passes their way again.

St. Paul’s example of gratitude for all that the Thessalonians have done for him is a wonderful reminder that we too are beneficiaries of so many who support us in our vocation as we strive to answer the call to universal holiness. While our American culture prizes the rugged individual, the true Christian understands that none of us stands alone. We are surrounded by wonderful examples of charity which spur us on to be fit preachers of the Gospel message of love for God and love for neighbor. Rescue and recovery efforts are currently underway for those people whose homes lay in the path of Hurricane Idalia, a hurricane that caused billions of dollars of destruction. Although Hurricane Hilary did not cause as much damage, the people of southern California are still hard at work to aid people whose homes were damaged by the storm. We can cite countless examples of people who respond at times of natural disaster. However, we are also surrounded by people who work tirelessly to protect and serve the public as first responders, as nurses and doctors, and as social workers.

Like Paul, we must pray “night and day” for these people as well as for those who perform similar acts of charity whenever there is a natural disaster.  As their example has encouraged us in our faith, let us pray for them and for their loved ones in this hour of need.