Memorial of St. Augustine
2 Thessalonians 2:15
Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.
The past couple of weeks have been difficult ones for the Catholic Church. People are angry, hurt, confused, reliving trauma. It's a dark time, for sure. But there is always light. In today's first reading, Paul encourages the readers that when they are confused or feeling deceived, to lean on what they know, not what is being said or done at the moment. The same goes for you and for me.
Sometimes we confuse following the leader with following the message and the mission. This happens in the secular realm as well as religious. This doesn't mean we shouldn't respect authority or follow a leader, but we need to remember where our faith is rooted - in Jesus himself. The light in the darkness. So let's pray today that we can share Christ with someone who is feeling discouraged or lost and that Christ's light will guide our steps as a family of faith, hope and love.
