Catechism Links [1]
CCC 2044: Moral life and Christian witness
CCC 876, 1550-1551: Priesthood for service; human frailty of leaders
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“Malachi”
artist and date are unknown |
Readings for the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary: [4]
Reading 1: Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10
A great King am I, says the LORD of hosts,
and my name will be feared among the nations.
And now, O priests, this commandment is for you:
If you do not listen,
if you do not lay it to heart,
to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts,
I will send a curse upon you
and of your blessing I will make a curse.
You have turned aside from the way,
and have caused many to falter by your instruction;
you have made void the covenant of Levi,
says the LORD of hosts.
I, therefore, have made you contemptible
and base before all the people,
since you do not keep my ways,
but show partiality in your decisions.
Have we not all the one father?
Has not the one God created us?
Why then do we break faith with one another,
violating the covenant of our fathers?
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Commentary on Mal 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10
This passage captures the heart of the second oracle of the prophet Malachi. The primary focus of this oracle (or burden) is on the sins of the Hebrew priests. The prophet, speaking with the authority of God, lays a curse on the priests who have failed to follow their calling and in so doing “have made void the covenant of Levi” (see Deuteronomy 18:1-8; Deuteronomy 33:8-11). The covenant of Levi established the authority of the priesthood in return for faithful service to God in word and ritual. Not only does Malachi lay God’s curse upon them because they have failed to fulfill their service and fulfill their covenantal duties, he also causes their own representation of God in the priesthood to lose its efficacy.
CCC: Mal 2:7-9 1540; Mal 2:10 238
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 131:1, 2, 3
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother's lap,
so is my soul within me.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
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Commentary on Ps 131:1, 2, 3
Psalm 131 is an individual lament praying for harmony and humility among the members of the community. The singer proclaims trust in the Lord and peace, like children's contented peace, secure in the knowledge of the love and protection of their parents.
CCC: Ps 131:2 239; Ps 131:2-3 370
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Reading II: 1 Thessalonians 2:7b-9, 13
Brothers and sisters:
We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.
With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you
not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well,
so dearly beloved had you become to us.
You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery.
Working night and day in order not to burden any of you,
we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly,
that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us,
you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God,
which is now at work in you who believe.
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Commentary on 1 Thes 2:7b-9, 13
St. Paul again uses himself as an example of authentic Christian witness. He first reiterates his familial love for the members of the faith community. He goes on to remind them that, when he was with them proclaiming the Gospel, he did not burden them with his upkeep. Rather he took up his profession and worked to support himself.
The apostle did not confine this Gospel to any one group but delivered it broadly to the community. “’Those well-timed words, whispered in the ear of your wavering friend; the helpful conversation you managed to start at the right moment: the ready professional advice that improves his university work; the discreet indiscretion by which you open up unexpected horizons for his zeal. This all forms part of the 'apostolate of friendship'" (St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, 973).’” [5]
The passage concludes in v. 13 telling the community that by seeing his selfless devotion to not only the Word of God which he proclaimed but also his love of them in human terms, they would understand both the spirit and the application of the Gospel he preached. In seeing this they would understand its divine inspiration.
CCC: 1 Thes 2:13 104, 1349
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Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people's shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called 'Master';
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
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Commentary on Mt 23:1-12
This passage is the introduction to the invective against the scribes and Pharisees. It sets the stage for the “Seven Woes” which follow in the chapter. St. Matthew uses Jesus' teaching about the leaders of the Jewish faith as counterexamples of what the leaders of the Christian faith must be like. The scribes and Pharisees lead from the authority given by the temple. According to the Gospel, they did not practice what they taught and performed their worship for others to see rather than out of true faith and worship of God.
St. Matthew continues the theme of authentic worship (that is, worship that changes the actions of the faithful). The author gives us Jesus' discourse that upholds the Law of Moses and, at the same time, chastises those who misuse it. He describes in detail how the scribes burden the people with ritual, but do not practice that same law. The complaint is twofold: first is the rigor with which the law is interpreted (“They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders”), and second is the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees: “All their works are performed to be seen” (see also Matthew 6:1-8).
The selection promotes an interpretation of Christian leadership which is one of humility and compassion rather than one of prideful superiority. “These verses, warning against the use of various titles, are addressed to the disciples alone. While only the title 'Rabbi' has been said to be used in addressing the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:7), the implication is that Father and 'Master' also were. The prohibition of these titles to the disciples suggests that their use was present in Matthew's church. The Matthean Jesus forbids not only the titles but the spirit of superiority and pride that is shown by their acceptance. Whoever exalts . . . will be exalted: cf Luke 14:11.” [6]
CCC: Mt 23:9 2367; Mt 23:12 526
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Reflection:
This past week has seen another violent expression of hatred, anger, or frustration by a person evangelized by a radical religious group. It is becoming an all-too-common theme. An individual with access to a technology that can be used as a weapon turns that violence against an innocent and unsuspecting group of peaceful citizens. It is easy for us to point at a single source, such as radical Islam, and say: “There, that is the underlying cause.” But that would be over-simplifying and stereotyping the situation. Yes, we should be worried about radical Islam. Yes, we should be worried about the accessibility of firearms to unstable individuals, and yes, we should be worried about the culture of bullying that has driven many alienated young people to violence against their classmates and even against themselves. Our secular world is devolving into one of violence and fear and there is no single issue or factor we can point at, the curing of which would take us back to a safer, saner environment.
We, the modern-day disciples of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, look to our Lord and his Church for answers and help. And while many of you find internal strength based upon your faith that brings you peace in Christ, you also look to your clergy to reinforce the Gospel message, giving you tools to battle the secular hopelessness that threatens us each time we hear of or see irrational acts of violence perpetrated on innocent people.
As clergy, my brother deacons, priests, and bishops are quite aware of our responsibility to bring the Gospel message, the Good News, to all those we meet. That is why the Sacred Scripture just proclaimed causes us to become introspective. In a real sense it’s like a ministerial act of contrition. We hold ourselves up to the mirror hoping to see the face of one of the saints and see instead a fallible person, plagued with the same faults and weaknesses of the community we have pledged to serve.
As Permanent Deacons, human frailty coupled with the mandate to proclaim the Gospel is complicated by the fact that we stand before you and tell you about how the message of love for God and for one another may be lived most perfectly in the world. But then we go home to our wives and families and are asked to live up to those words, to be the saint whose virtues we have praised, to love them with the love of Christ whose compassion and patience is boundless. I will tell you a secret. It is much easier to be Christ-like with strangers than it is with family.
The prophet Malachi told the Hebrew priests of his day that they had failed to serve the Jewish people as they had pledged to do. And if they did not return to that holy duty, they would be cursed by God himself. The Church speaks to this in the Second Vatican Council:
"The people of God are joined together primarily by the word of the living God. And rightfully they expect this from their priests [and deacons]. Since no one can be saved who does not first believe, priests [and deacons], as co-workers with their bishops, have the primary duty of proclaiming the Gospel of God to all. In this way they fulfill the command of the Lord ... and [they] establish and build up the people of God." ("Presbyterorum ordinis", 4)
Note: The Permanent Diaconate was restored shortly after this document was published so “and deacons” was added to reflect that event.
St. Paul, in his First Letter to the Thessalonians speaks of his example of both preaching the Gospel and living its truths among the people. His great love for the people drove him to humble service (humility that was reinforced by the first verse of our psalm: “O LORD, my heart is not proud”). It is another example of lived truth we clerics are meant to take to heart.
And finally, St. Matthew’s Gospel provides an overview of Christian leadership as Jesus tells his disciples “The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Humility and service is the instruction to all who would serve the Lord in Holy Orders. It is challenging to come across that way at times because we are also responsible to guide and direct those who look to us down right paths. In this situation, deacons have it a lot easier than our presbyterial brothers, the priests and bishops who are more often called upon to speak with the voice of the Magisterium.
Guided by what Scripture tells us, the faith community has a right to expect the clergy to faithfully preach the Gospel of hope and love. They have the right to expect that this message will be visibly lived by those who lead them spiritually. And they have the responsibility to follow the example of their leaders as they lead the domestic church.
Ah! You probably thought that, because Scripture talked mainly about the responsibility of the clergy that you would get off with an easy lesson with all of the expectations on your bishop, priests, and deacons. Well, the Lord was very explicit that the behavior he laid out for his disciples was not just for those who lead, but for all those who had faith in him and were looking forward to the heavenly kingdom.
All of those virtues expected of your leadership, the lived example of God’s love for all his creation, falls to each of us. We are expected to love God and constantly praise him for all he has done for us. And on humility! Who among us who believes God has created us, our world, and all that it contains could be prideful in the face of that overwhelming example of love for us? How could we be anything but humble when every breath we take, every morsel we consume, and every day we live belongs to the God who created us and continues to watch over us?
Today we are reminded that our spiritual leaders have a special charge to be faithful to God’s commandments and to those of his Only Begotten Son, whose heralds they are. We are also reminded that we all share in that leadership and that those we lead in the domestic church deserve to see the kind of example the Lord calls us to be. We take that charge seriously and become a force of hope and love in a frightened world.
Pax
[1] Catechism links are taken from the
Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is “Malachi” artist and date are unknown.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.[5] Letters of St. Paul, The Navarre Bible, Four Courts Press, 2003, p. 513.
[6] NAB footnote on Matthew 23:8-12.
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