2 Thessalonian 2
We read from the second letter of St Paul to Thessalonians for today’s Mass. The passage selected for the Mass is from chapter 2 of the letter. But the reading selection for the Mass only has the verses from 1 to 3, and from 14 to 17. I think the verses from 4 to 13 will greatly help us to understand what St Paul teaches us. Here they are:
Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed when his time comes. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now restrains it is removed. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth, annihilating him by the manifestation of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false, so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned. But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
What we just heard is a prophecy about the second coming of Christ. But before this second coming of the Lord, there come the apostasy and the antichrist. What St Paul describes the mass apostasy and the antichrist sounds similar to other New Testament prophecies such as St John’s letters and the Book of Revelation. And we, living in this post-modern age, witness these prophecies are being realized. Many antichrists twist and perverse Christ’s teachings. And Christians fall into these lies and deceptions. These deceptions and perverse teachings are filling Christian nations now. Before pagan countries and peoples, Christian states are apostatizing against Christ and legalizing many perversities.
This is why St Paul teaches Thessalonians and us to hold on to the sound traditions the apostles handed down. The Tradition of the Church keeps us from lies and deceptions of the antichrists. We are living in the age of confusion. I don’t think the human race has ever taken pride in this level of perversion of the truth by intellectual works and laws. Let us awake. We may have to settle our account with the Lord much sooner than we have ever guessed.
