Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading 1: Mal 3:19-20a
Reading 2: 2 Thes 3:7-12
Gospel: Lk 21:5-19
The Book of Malachi is the final book in the Old Testament and Jewish tradition considers Malachi to be the last of the prophets. “Malachi” is a pseudonym for the unknown author as the Hebrew word, Malachi, means “My Messenger.” The introduction to this book tells us the author probably wanted to conceal his identity because the substance of his prophecy was his condemnation of the priests and leaders of the people and he would likely suffer persecution if his identity was known.
Malachi is a post-exilic prophet (after the Babylonian Exile) and his prophecy was composed about 450 B.C. The exile ended in about 538 B.C. and over a period of several years many of the people returned to Judah and Jerusalem but were apparently more concerned with providing for themselves than in rebuilding the city and the temple. Haggai was the first post-exilic prophet to return (approximately 520 B.C.) and prodded the people to rebuild the temple. Although the people complained that it would not be as magnificent as the temple built by Solomon and destroyed by the Babylonians, Haggai assured them that, when built, the Lord would fill it with his glory and the Gentiles, too, would bring offerings and the result would be a temple more magnificent than the first temple. This is the temple Jesus is referring to in our gospel passage this week but the reference to Gentiles bringing offerings to the temple should be understood as a reference to the final temple, the Christian church established by Jesus where Gentiles, too, come to offer worship to God. The temple was rebuilt, and Malachi appeared on the scene some 70 years later.
Malachi’s prophecy is directed against the priests for offering blemished and impure sacrifices on the altar, and against the people for bringing those offerings and for taking pagan wives rather than Jewish wives. Apparently, there were many cases of Jews divorcing their wives in order to marry pagans. Malachi also prophesied the “day of the Lord” when all those who have abandoned their covenantal relationship with God will be punished. But first, God will send his messenger before him to prepare the way for God: To turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. And that messenger will bring repentance to the people and will purify the priests so they will offer pure, acceptable offerings on the altar. The church considers that pure, acceptable offering to be the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
In his prophecy, Malachi identifies that messenger as Elijah, and Jewish tradition has interpreted this literally – they are still waiting for Elijah to come to prepare the way of the Lord. In the New Testament (Mt 17), Jesus tells us that this prophecy has already been fulfilled in the person of John the Baptist who prepared the “way of the Lord” for Jesus to usher in the messianic age and for the church he instituted to offer pure, acceptable offerings in the Mass.
Our reading from Malachi this Sunday is a reflection on that “day of the Lord” when evildoers will be punished and the righteous will see the “sun of justice arise with its healing rays.” In the Jewish tradition, that “day of the Lord” is the long-awaited coming of the messiah when Elijah will return to prepare for the coming of the messiah. Christianity recognizes that the messianic age was ushered in by Jesus through his Passion, Resurrection and Ascension, and the messenger of that messianic age was John the Baptist. But the terrible “day of the Lord” will be the return of Jesus Christ at his second coming when evildoers will be punished and the righteous will be glorified. So, the message of our first reading this week is to be prepared for that “day of the Lord.” The messianic age is upon us and we have the teachings and sacraments of the church Jesus left us to prepare us for his return.
Our gospel message this week is a little bit frightening. The Jews prided themselves on their temple, but Jesus told them that a day was coming when not a stone would be left upon a stone in that temple. That day came in 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed the city and the temple. The Romans purpose was to put down a rebellion; God’s purpose was punishment of the people for abandoning their covenantal relationship with God.
Jesus also assures us that “the day of the Lord” is coming, but we will have to endure persecution before it comes. And we will be required to give testimony. But he also tells us that he will give us the words and the courage to give that testimony and it will be only through our perseverance, courage and testimony that “you will secure your lives.” As St. Paul reminds us in our second reading, we cannot sit by idly waiting for Jesus’ return. Paul was referring to slackers in the Thessalonian community who refused to work but expected the community to take care of them, but we can apply it to ourselves as well. We must work at and defend our faith and bear witness to Jesus when others persecute us or make fun of our beliefs. It’s a harsh message because he tells us there will be wars, insurrections and famine before his return and we witness that in our world today. We are surrounded by those who do not share our Christian beliefs (non-believers), who want to destroy our Christian faith and by those who are not totally committed to their Christian faith. Those who are willing to accept part of Christian teaching but not all of it, like those who call themselves Christians but are willing to accept abortion, capital punishment, assisted suicide, gay marriage, etc. These things are either contrary to God’s law or they are not, because truth is unequivocal. They can’t be true for some and untrue for others. These are the lukewarm ones that Jesus tells us in the Book of Revelation he will spit out of his mouth. If we want to go to heaven, we have to work at it and actively defend our faith when others want to destroy it. We can’t sit idly by and simply hope things will turn out the way we want them to turn out and we can’t expect to ride the coattails of faithful Christians into heaven if we don’t stand with them and defend our faith. As St. Paul implies in our second reading: If you don’t work, you have no right to share in the banquet.
It is probably also important for us to recognize that the early Christians believed that “the day of the Lord” was imminent, and would probably occur during their lifetimes. Jesus also told his followers that there would be wars, insurrections, famine, earthquakes, etc. before the day of the Lord and the early Christians experienced all of these. And he predicted the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. By the time Luke composed this gospel (around 80 A.D.), the temple had already been destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. Many people who experienced all of these calamities and the destruction of the temple would have believed that this was the signal for the return of Christ. But it didn’t happen! How many lost faith because what they expected didn’t occur. We, as Christians, could experience the same frustration and loss of faith because we have been told our entire lives that Christ will return and, if we are faithful, we will join him in that existence we call heaven. And we have also experienced the wars, insurrections, etc. that the early Christians experienced and still, no return of Christ. That leaves us with a simple choice: Do we believe what Jesus said and wait patiently for his return; or do we pass it all off as a myth and indulge ourselves in this world rather than in our longing for union with him in heaven?
I think the message for us this week is that we know “the day of the Lord” is coming and that perseverance and witness is required of us to endure it because along with that day comes judgment. As St. Paul reminds us elsewhere: It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Therefore, be prepared! “By your perseverance (and witness) you will secure your lives.”
