NOTES for Th1 5:16-24

The apostle Paul’s words are quoted quite often and sound very comforting and seemingly simple, although anyone who has tried to fulfill even one of these commandments is unlikely to agree that it is easy. Indeed, in our world it is not easy to “rejoice always” and “give thanks in everything,” especially when those close to us fall ill and die, and when we see the lawlessness and injustice committed in the world. Even praying for half an hour a day is not so simple, let alone praying without ceasing.

The apostle’s contemporaries were probably no different from us, and their lives were no easier. Yet this is what today’s Bible readings tell us. The Lord came into a world full of darkness and brought light into it. Although we most often cannot find this light within ourselves, we are called to bear witness to it with joy and thanksgiving. Then, perhaps, relying not on our own strength but on God’s help, we will succeed in becoming, in the words of Saint Francis, an instrument of His peace.