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From: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Avoiding Idleness. Earning One’s Living

[7] For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when
we were with you, [8] we did not eat any one’s bread without paying, but with toil
and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you. [9] It
was not because we have not that right, but to give you in our conduct an exam-
ple to imitate. [10] For even when we were with you, we gave you this command:
If any one will not work, let him not eat. [11] For we hear that some of you are li-
ving in idleness, mere busy bodies, not doing any work. [12] Now such persons
we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work in quietness
and to earn their own living.

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Commentary:

7-12. Some of the Thessalonians, wrongly thinking that the Parousia was about
to happen, had given up working and were living in idleness, minding everyone’s
business but their own. So the Apostle reminds them all that when he was
among them he worked to keep himself and was a burden on no one.

The Second Vatican Council underlines the value of work when it exhorts “Chris-
tians, as citizens of both cities, to perform their duties faithfully in the spirit of the
Gospel.” Far from neglecting earthly responsibilities, they should, as the Council
goes on, realize that by their faith they “are bound all the more to fulfill these res-
ponsibilities according to the vocation of each one (cf. 2 Thess 3:6-13; Eph 4:28)”
(”Gaudium Et Spes”, 43).

“For the love of God, for the love of souls, and to live up to our Christian vocation,
we must give good example. So as not to give scandal, or to provoke even the
faintest suspicion that the children of God are soft and useless, so as not to dis-
edify, you must strive to show an example of balanced justice, to behave proper-
ly as responsible people. The farmer who ploughs his field while constantly raising
his heart to God, just as much as the carpenter, the blacksmith, the office worker,
the academic — all Christians, in fact — have to be an example for their colleagues
at work, and to be humble about it. Therefore, everyone, in his job, in whatever
place he has in society, must feel obliged to make his work God’s work, sowing
everywhere the peace and joy of the Lord” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 70).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Luke 21:5-19

Discourse on the Destruction of Jerusalem and the End of the World

[5] And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and
offerings, He (Jesus) said, [6] “As for these things which you see, the days will
come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be
thrown down.” [7] And they asked Him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will
be the sign when this is about to take place?” [8] And He said, “Take heed that
you are not led astray; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and,
‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. [9] And when you hear of wars and
tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be
at once.”

[10] Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom; [11] there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and
pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. [12] But before
all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to
the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors
for My name’s sake. [13] This will be a time for you to bear testimony. [14] Settle
it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; [15] for I will
give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to with-
stand or contradict. [16] You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and
kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; [17] you will be ha-
ted by all for My name’s sake. [18] But not a hair of your head will perish. [19] By
your endurance you will gain your lives.”

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Commentary:

5-36. The disciples are in awe of the magnificence of the temple, and Jesus uses
the occasion to give a long discourse, known as the “eschatological discourse”
because it has to do with the last days of the world. The account given here is
very similar to those in the other Synoptic Gospels (cf. Mt 24:1-51; Mk 13:1-37).
The discourse deals with three inter-connected subjects — the destruction of Jeru-
salem (which took place some forty years later), the end of the world, and the se-
cond coming of Christ in glory and majesty. Jesus, who also predicts here the per-
secution of the Church will experience, exhorts His disciples to be patient, to pray
and be watchful.

Our Lord speaks here in the style and language of prophecy, using images taken
from the Old Testament; also, in this discourse prophecies which are going to be
fulfilled very soon are mixed in with others which have to do with the end of the
world. It is not our Lord’s intention to satisfy people’s curiosity about future events,
but to protect them from being discouraged and scandalized about what is going
to happen in the days immediately ahead. This explains why He exhorts them:
“Take heed that you are not led astray” (v. 8); “do not be tempted” (v. 9); “watch
at all times” (v. 34).

8. On hearing that Jerusalem is going to be destroyed, the disciples ask what
sign will be given as a warning of these events (vv. 5-7). Jesus answers by telling
them “not to be led astray,” that is to say, not to expect any warning; not to be
misled by false prophets; to stay faithful to Him. These false prophets will come
along claiming to be the Messiah (”I am He!”). Our Lord’s reply in fact refers to
two events which in the Jewish mind were interrelated — the destruction of the Ho-
ly City and the end of the world. This is why He goes on to speak of both events
and implies that there will be a long gap between the two; the destruction of the
temple and of Jerusalem are a kind of sign or symbol of the catastrophes which
will mark the end of the world.

9-11. Our Lord does not want His disciples to confuse just any catastrophe — fa-
mine, earthquake, war — or even persecution with the signals of the end of the
world. He exhorts them quite clearly: “Do not be tempted,” because although all
these has to happen, “the end will not be at once;” in spite of the difficulties of all
kinds the Gospel will spread to the ends of the earth. Difficulties should not para-
lyze the preaching of the faith.

19. Jesus foretells all kinds of persecution. Persecution itself is something inevi-
table: “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Ti-
mothy 3:12). His disciples will have need to remember the Lord’s warning at the
Last Supper: “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me,
they will persecute you” (John 15:20). However, these persecutions are part of
God’s providence: they happen because He lets them happen, which He does in
order to draw greater good out of them. Persecution provides Christians with an
opportunity to bear witness to Christ; without it the blood of martyrs would not a-
dorn the Church. Moreover, our Lord promises to give special help to those who
suffer persecution, and He tells them not to be afraid: He will give them of His
own wisdom to enable them to defend themselves; He will not permit a hair of
their heads to perish, that is, even apparent misfortune and loss will be for them
a beginning of Heaven.

From Jesus’ words we can also deduce the obligation of every Christian to be
ready to lose life rather than offend God. Only those will attain salvation who per-
severe until the end in faithfulness to the Lord. The three Synoptic Gospels lo-
cate His exhortation to perseverance in this discourse (cf. Matthew 24:13; Mark
13:13) and St. Matthew gives it elsewhere (Matthew 10:22) as does St. Peter
(1 Peter 5: 9) — all of which underlines the importance for every Christian of this
warning from our Lord.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.