We are in the last weeks of the liturgical year. We’re just 4 weeks away from the beginning of Advent and the beginning of the new Church year. Advent is not only a time when we prepare for Christmas and for the birth of Jesus into our world, but it’s a season where we look into our hearts in a special way to see those ways we need to turn away from sin and to receive renewal in our lives. Today’s readings help us think about these themes, about how we need to repent and amend our ways, to look at those things that are eroding our faith, that are keeping us from growing in our relationship with Christ.
Malachi spoke to the people of ancient Israel in the 5th century, just a generation or two after the Israelites returned from exile. At that time, the people had once again turned their backs on God. Many had married outside of their faith and had started worshipping foreign idols. Malachi is very direct in his message, in identifying the sins of the people and of their priests. Malachi tells them that it’s not enough to go through the empty motions of religious rituals if they’re doing so for their own glory and to put on a good show.
Jesus is very hard on the Pharisees and the Scribes in today’s Gospel; he saw them not only leading many of the faithful astray, but they took the glory that was due God, and in a very sneaky, hypocritical way, turned it into their own glory. In contrast to the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus warns us about, I bet we can all think of those who have been examples of faith for us, who truly have lived and served for the glory of God, who have led us closer to the faith rather than leading us astray. When I was in Ecuador serving as a missionary, I saw so many priests and nuns who had left their countries from all over the world in order to serve the poor in the vast jungle region of South America. I met one elderly nun from Italy – Sister Gemma – who had been there in the jungle for almost forty years. Even though she had gone through some very difficult times, I was struck by the love, grace, and humility through which she served the Lord as a Catholic missionary. She never drew attention to herself, she never was announcing to others how great she was. She knew that God called her as a missionary, as his servant, so she served him simply and humbly, through patience, perseverance, and hard work. That is so different from the message we see in the Pharisees and scribes, who follow all the laws of the faith, but who do so rigidly and dogmatically. In flaunting the way they take the seats of honor, in drawing attention to themselves and lording their power over others, the scribes and Pharisees really are serving only themselves.
Let us look at a very different example. Our psalmist humbly comes before the Lord this morning, telling him: My heart is not proud, Lord. My eyes are not haughty. I don’t spend my time trying to accomplish great things. I don’t worry about those things that are too complicated or sublime for me. Instead, he declares that he’s found his peace with the Lord, that his hope is in the Lord both now and forever.
Back in 1953, Sir Emund Hillary of New Zealand and his Sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Nepal were the first humans to set foot on the peak of Mt Everest. Since then, many have died trying to scale that mountain, including 10 who have died during the 2017 climbing season. Hillary and Norgay reacted very differently to this remarkable achievement. Hillary reacted by planting a flag of conquest on top of the mountain peak. However, Norgay knelt in the snow in order to beg the mountain’s forgiveness for disturbing her peace. It doesn’t take long for us to figure out who was able to glimpse the divine presence at that moment, as Norgay saw his experience on that mountain as a holy event.
In September of last year, Pope Francis reached outside of our Catholic faith to bring the message of God’s love to the world in a special way. He convened religious leaders from all over the world to Assisi, Italy, the hometown of St Francis of Assisi, to stress the importance of all of us working together for world peace. He followed in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI who convened similar events. On those occasions, leaders from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, traditional African religions, and from different Christian denominations all pledged to work toward dialogue, justice, peace, and friendship. In a world where a lot of terrorism and violence has been perpetuated in the name of God and in the name of different religions, a world day of prayer for peace tells the world what all these faith traditions truly stand for.
Yes, there are a lot of things that can erode our faith, that can lead us astray, that can bring us down. However, if we make a conscious decision of living out a faith that is more than going through the motions, then God’s love will truly be present.
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