21st Tuesday of the year

When we are tired of doing things, we have two questions in mind. “Did I do enough already?” and “When is it finished?”

The Pharisees created a complex system of rituals trying to answer the first question. When you can count the number of absolutions, prayers, sacrifices and other rituals you do, then you can feel some satisfaction that you have done what is required, you can even count them. The more in number, the better.

The church of Thessalonica was facing the second question: When is this finished? Some started to believe that the end was near. All millenarians try to send the message that we have served enough time. Now is the end. The shorter the better.

In a religion based on a response to love, we would not need to count the number of services or calculate when it would be finished. People in a loving relationship do not look forward to the end nor keep count. They simply respond spontaneously to love with love.