Wednesday 27 August 2025 - Like a father

Wednesday 27 August 2025

Today is Wednesday the 27th of August, the feast of Saint Monica, in the 21st week of Ordinary Time. The Porter’s Gate sing, ‘Every Mother, Every Father’. Every mother, every father called to raise up sons or daughters May your heart be patient, may your mind be clear, may our God be with you, and calm your fears. Today’s reading is from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 You remember our labour and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was towards you believers. As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you should lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers. Today is the feast of St Monica; tomorrow the feast of her son St Augustine. She was patient and diligent in prayer for her son. You might be familiar with their respective journeys of faith; or you might want to find out a little more about them. In today’s reading St Paul unapologetically describes his own diligence, financing his own ministry through hard work. How might that have affected his relationship with the church? Paul describes himself as a parent - perhaps very like St Monica as a parent to Augustine - urging and encouraging, even pleading with the children. What does that tell us about the passion of being a parent or guardian? Does it reveal anything to you about God, our Father? Listen to the passage again, and consider the parental tone adopted by Paul, a tone borne, surely, out of love and some anguish. 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 You remember our labour and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was towards you believers. As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you should lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers. Allow the words in today’s passage to form your prayer for others in your care. You might want to speak with God the Father, as a son or daughter, as a parent or guardian. Lift up your heart. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen