Readings for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Mal 3:19-20a
Malachi, who writes his prophecy in post-exile Israel before the reforms of Nehemiah and Ezra, is sending a warning to those who have returned from exile. He tells them that (if they do not reform their lives) the day is coming when they will be held accountable. This short passage appears to point at the Messiah (the “sun of justice”) as the one who can forgive them.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:5-6, 7-8, 9
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Psalm 98 is a song of praise. The Psalmist sees God’s presence in the law and Word as he rules with justice. (The Justice theme links nicely to the first reading from Malachi.)
Reading II 2 Thes 3:7-12
St. Paul addresses a problem with some of the individuals in the Church in Thessalonica. Possibly because of St. Paul’s own teaching on the immanent second coming of Christ (the Parousia) (1 Thes 2:16; 3:3-4; 5:4-5) but more likely because of a forged letter claiming to be from him (2 Thes 2:2), some members had stopped working for a living. St Paul urges them to stop this behavior (and to stop involving themselves in other peoples business, a side effect of the life style which left them with too much time on their hands) and get back to working for a living.
Gospel Lk 21:5-19
St. Luke’s Gospel, unlike St. Mark’s account of this eschatological discourse, does not place the end times as being “at hand”. Rather he focuses on the Christian Community living the faith from day to day. He tells the disciples of the coming persecutions and bids them to trust in the Holy Spirit who will keep their souls safe from harm.
Reflection:
If we take all of the passages from Holy Scripture we are presented with today and find a common thread running through them it would feel like; “we are being warned that the end is coming, it will be very difficult for the faithful to endure, but in the end God will save those who trust in him.”
We get this feeling from the very beginning in the reading from the book of the Prophet Malachi. He is speaking to the Jews who have returned from the exile. Listening to the prophet criticizing them earlier in his book, they are not listing to God’s Law. He warns them that God will call them to account for their actions and that justice will be served upon them. The final strophe of Psalm 98 enhances this feeling (“He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity.”
When we get to St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians we hear him speaking to that Church about people who have anticipated the end times and have stopped working. He tells them that the time has not come and they need to continue to work. Ironically, it is probably from a forged letter claiming to be from St. Paul that they got this idea.
In St. Luke’s Gospel the Lord warns about just that sort of thing. He tells the disciples “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,’ and 'The time has come.’
Do not follow them!” (Not that anyone needs to be reminded of how true that is, but all you need to do is look in this week’s news “Russia cult members in cave siege”).
The Lord tells us that, as we wait for our own time to come we must expect that there will be difficult times. We will be persecuted for our belief in Christ and we will be put to the test. That feeling of the end times leads us to the point where we might become worried if it were not for the very last parts of the Gospel passage. The calming voice of the Lord tells us that we do not need to worry about these times. All we need to do is trust in the Holy Spirit and the right words will be given to us. All we need to do is have faith and God will see that no harm will come to us.
The practical lesson for us today must be that we must remain steadfast in our faith. The time when all must face justice will come. We do not know when or where but God has given us the great comfort of His Son who gave us words of peace and left us the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit to guide us, to strengthen us, and to lead us safely to God’s loving arms.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “The Destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem” by Micolas Poussin, 1637
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Mal 3:19-20a
Malachi, who writes his prophecy in post-exile Israel before the reforms of Nehemiah and Ezra, is sending a warning to those who have returned from exile. He tells them that (if they do not reform their lives) the day is coming when they will be held accountable. This short passage appears to point at the Messiah (the “sun of justice”) as the one who can forgive them.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:5-6, 7-8, 9
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Psalm 98 is a song of praise. The Psalmist sees God’s presence in the law and Word as he rules with justice. (The Justice theme links nicely to the first reading from Malachi.)
Reading II 2 Thes 3:7-12
St. Paul addresses a problem with some of the individuals in the Church in Thessalonica. Possibly because of St. Paul’s own teaching on the immanent second coming of Christ (the Parousia) (1 Thes 2:16; 3:3-4; 5:4-5) but more likely because of a forged letter claiming to be from him (2 Thes 2:2), some members had stopped working for a living. St Paul urges them to stop this behavior (and to stop involving themselves in other peoples business, a side effect of the life style which left them with too much time on their hands) and get back to working for a living.
Gospel Lk 21:5-19
St. Luke’s Gospel, unlike St. Mark’s account of this eschatological discourse, does not place the end times as being “at hand”. Rather he focuses on the Christian Community living the faith from day to day. He tells the disciples of the coming persecutions and bids them to trust in the Holy Spirit who will keep their souls safe from harm.
Reflection:
If we take all of the passages from Holy Scripture we are presented with today and find a common thread running through them it would feel like; “we are being warned that the end is coming, it will be very difficult for the faithful to endure, but in the end God will save those who trust in him.”
We get this feeling from the very beginning in the reading from the book of the Prophet Malachi. He is speaking to the Jews who have returned from the exile. Listening to the prophet criticizing them earlier in his book, they are not listing to God’s Law. He warns them that God will call them to account for their actions and that justice will be served upon them. The final strophe of Psalm 98 enhances this feeling (“He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity.”
When we get to St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians we hear him speaking to that Church about people who have anticipated the end times and have stopped working. He tells them that the time has not come and they need to continue to work. Ironically, it is probably from a forged letter claiming to be from St. Paul that they got this idea.
In St. Luke’s Gospel the Lord warns about just that sort of thing. He tells the disciples “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,’ and 'The time has come.’
Do not follow them!” (Not that anyone needs to be reminded of how true that is, but all you need to do is look in this week’s news “Russia cult members in cave siege”).
The Lord tells us that, as we wait for our own time to come we must expect that there will be difficult times. We will be persecuted for our belief in Christ and we will be put to the test. That feeling of the end times leads us to the point where we might become worried if it were not for the very last parts of the Gospel passage. The calming voice of the Lord tells us that we do not need to worry about these times. All we need to do is trust in the Holy Spirit and the right words will be given to us. All we need to do is have faith and God will see that no harm will come to us.
The practical lesson for us today must be that we must remain steadfast in our faith. The time when all must face justice will come. We do not know when or where but God has given us the great comfort of His Son who gave us words of peace and left us the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit to guide us, to strengthen us, and to lead us safely to God’s loving arms.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “The Destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem” by Micolas Poussin, 1637
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