Tuesday August 26, 2025

---

Community is so important to God that He created us with a need for the experience.

---

Terry’s retirement was Aug. 15th, but these daily reflections won’t be retired.
See this important announcement! https://youtu.be/y5CWs4BW238

Good News Reflection for:

Tuesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time
August 26, 2025

Today’s Prayer:

Lord: You know, better than anyone else, my weaknesses and miseries. Forgive me, heal me and free me from all of them. Make me Your instrument to serve my neighbors. Thank You, because your eyes, full of love, never stop gazing on me. Amen.

IMPROVE YOUR DAY!
Powerful Catholic prayers are available on our YouTube channel.

Today’s Readings:

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Ps 139:1-6
Matthew 23:23-26
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082625.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-august-26-2025

Being Christian means being in community

We cannot be true Christians — truly Christ-like — if we are not in community with other believers. This means more than going to Mass (although worshiping God with others is an important aspect of it). It means being in active relationships with other believers. Community means journeying together on the path to heaven.

In our first reading today, look at how St. Paul preached the Good News to the Thessalonians. “We were determined to share with you … our very selves.” While Paul and his evangelism team visited Thessalonica, they entered into relationships with the people. As I tell people when I travel for speaking engagements: “A stranger is a friend I haven’t met yet. We are friends because we belong to the same community of believers. Come, let us journey together!” I like to treat every interaction as an actual, personal relationship. To do anything less is to be unlike Christ.

Paul lists what community is not (i.e., what’s contrary to Christian relationships). In holy relationships, there’s no deceit or impure motives or trickery, no ear-tickling with polite or flattering words, no greed of any kind, no glory-seeking.

In contrast the Pharisees, whom Jesus scolded in our Gospel reading today, did not understand community life. As blind guides, they missed the experience of inter-personal faith-building. They fulfilled their religious obligations, but their hearts were filled with “loot and lust” or “plunder and self-indulgence”.

What’s our loot? It’s anything that we steal from others: their dignity, their value, their time, their respect when we’re not respectable. How are we self-indulgent? By forcing anything upon others for our own sake: our agendas, or our warped, lustful, codependent ideas of love.

Jesus names the glue that bonds people into community: justice and mercy and fidelity. Since to be Christ-like means treating everyone with justice and mercy, instead of limiting it to those whom we like most, our community is far larger than our little circle of friends.

How much of the community are you ignoring? How much farther can you extend your reach? In Good News Ministries, we continually provide opportunities that develop a sense of community through fellowshipping, sharing, volunteering, and supporting our work as champions of the cause.

What are you doing with the community you see face-to-face at Mass?

Whatever is lacking in our lives, whatever we’ve been asking God to provide that seems too slow in coming, whatever unmet needs we have — God gives it to us through and in community. Community is so important to God that he created us with a need for the experience. Faith practiced only by ourselves is very lonely and very exclusive.

Reflect further with our WordByte: “The key that opens relationships” @ https://wordbytes.org/faith-booster-minis/key-opens-relationships/

© by Terry A. Modica, Good News Ministries

---

 To distribute the Good News Reflections in your church bulletin or in RCIA or faith sharing groups, please contact us.

 You can also receive this & more faith-builders by text message on your phone.

 Keep it going! This reflection reached you thanks to benefactors. Please support this ministry today.

 Post your prayer request.

 How else can we serve you today? Visit our homepage.

Search more reflections in our continually growing database.

Homebound, Prison & Hospital Ministers are invited to print and distribute them without further permission.

Continue your prayer time with these:
Pray with Saints | Pray the Rosary | Other Prayers | Random Quotes.

 

Order and share Terry Modica's books

Socialize with us at:
        

Please share this with others by inviting them to visit this page. You may also print this for your personal use and you may share the print-out with others.