Monday, October 3, 2011

10/6/2011 – Homily for Thursday of the 27th week of ordinary time – Malachi 3:13-20b


         When I was in seminary, our Old Testament professor, Dr Richard Lux, used to tell us that while most priests preach on the Gospel reading for the day, we need to also preach about those Old Testament readings that as so easily ignored.  From what we can tell, the book of Malachi was written about a century of the people of Jerusalem had returned from the exile in Babylon, after they had rebuilt the Temple.  At this time, the people were drifting away from their faith again.  They were not paying their tithes; they were inter-marrying with foreigners who worshipped idols; they were not respecting the Sabbath; and the priests of the Temple were once again becoming corrupt.  This is a common pattern with the people of Israel.  They return to God, they return to their faith, they change their hearts, but then they drift away once again from the path which God sets before them. Malachi has a vision of God witnessing those who revere him, of writing their names in a book of remembrance.  God will remember them – they will be his people, his special possession on the act on which he will act, on the judgment day. 
         It is so easy for us to stray from God in our modern world.  In fact, many of the values we see as a part of the Gospel are condemned by our world.  This month of October we celebrate the respect we are called to have for life as a part of this Gospel call. Yet, many in our world do not see this in the same way.  We need to remember that we are God’s people, his special possession as Malachi phrases it.  We are called to be his disciples in the world, to bring his message to others.  No matter how strong we get pulled in by the message of our secular world, may we always cling to God and his word.  

No comments:

Post a Comment