Thursday, October 9, 2025

 

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Malachi 3:13-20b; Luke 11:5-13)

In a city known for its corrupt government a building inspector insisted that a poor widow give him a bribe before he would approve the sale of her house.  The woman made all the improvements the inspector called for, but the official would not sign off without being paid.  The widow knew that it was useless to seek recourse with the city’s managers.  Paying bribes to inspectors was the way the city functioned.

The first reading today paints a similar picture of global corruption.  The prophet Malachi writes in the last part of the fifth century before Christ. The idealism that accompanied the rebuilding of the Temple a century before has given way to defiance of the Law.  Malachi notes that the people question the value of following the Law’s commands.  They would rather extoll depravity and evil doing. 

Only a small number of the citizenry care to live righteously.  Their names are etched in the Lord’s book of life.  God promises that the sun of justice will arise and heal them of the wounds they suffer.  Like in the Canticle of Zechariah of Luke’s Gospel, the “sun of justice” refers to Jesus Christ.  He brings about the defeat of evil with his resurrection from the dead.

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Malachi 3:13-20b; Luke 11:5-13)

Malachi is the Bible’s last prophetic book.  The word means “my messenger,” and it is presumed not to be anyone’s name.  Probably the author wanted to keep his identity unknown because of the stinging criticism he makes of Jewish society.  The first part of today’s reading demonstrates the author’s witness of the people’s arrogance.  He accuses the people of testifying that it is useless to serve God and that the proud, not the holy or just, are blessed.

But Malachi does not portray the people as completely hopeless.  Some still fear the Lord and trust that He will come to their aid.  The last section of the reading foresees “the day of the Lord” when the just will be vindicated.  It anticipates the wicked being burned like brush in a wildfire while the just will bask in the Lord’s victory.

Although not evident to all, the day of the Lord has arrived.  Jesus’ death and resurrection serve to mark a new era of righteousness and glory.  In their wake we have new criteria, the Gospel, to judge good and evil.  We also have the saints who, boosted by the Lord’s grace, have demonstrated the new righteousness.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Malachi 3:13-20b; Luke 11:5-13)

The Book of the Prophet Malachi has traditionally sat at the end of the Old Testament.  It was probably composed during the difficult times after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile.  The author is actually anonymous. “Malachi” just means “my messenger.”  Biblical experts suppose that the prophet preferred to go nameless because of his harsh critique of Jerusalem’s priests and rulers. 

Today’s passage from Malachi exposes the thinking of the faithless and God’s promise to the faithful.  The faithless despair of the Law.  Not prospering after trying to keep it, they want to abandon it.  Like the proud everywhere, they find little if any need for God.  However, God promises that those who strive for justice will find salvation.  It will feel like the comforting warmth of sunrays on a winter day.  Meanwhile, God threatens the unjust with fire caused by the fierce sun of summer.

The prophecy has been fulfilled at least partially in Jesus.  He has brought comfort to the suffering in many ways.  He healed the sick.  Today Christians, the members of his body, perform countless healings and acts of charity in his name.  We may not heal physical maladies, but we can provide spiritual comfort.  By listening attentively, speaking humbly, and acting graciously we contribute to the spiritual well-being of the world.

Thursday, October 12, and Friday, October 13

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Malachi 3:13-20b; Luke 11:5-13)

Today’s first reading is reminiscent of the so-called “New Atheists.”  These writers not only expressed their disbelief in God but also showed contempt for Him.  One wrote a book entitled, “God Is Not Great.”  Another blamed religion – often defined as “the love of God” -- for most of the wars in history. 

The reading from the prophet Malachi looks at the world from God’s perspective.  It expresses His outrage that people would deny that they have defied God after commending evil-doers and doubting the need to repent of one’s sins.  God then promises justice.  He says that those who fear Him will be duly rewarded while those who flouted His authority will perish.

We must take care not to become too impressed with the arguments of the “New Atheists.”  Generally they can be reduced to the questions people have asked for centuries.  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Why do bad people seem to prosper?  It is good to keep in mind that Jesus, the Son of God, suffered terribly before being raised to glory.  Walking in his way is to often skirt trouble, but completing the journey is to find true happiness.

Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Joel 1:13-15.2:1-2; Luke 11:15-26)

A local parish just had its first “Christ Renews His Church” retreat.  The men responded well.  Most who signed up for the event attended, and most who came on Friday night stayed until Sunday.  But the end of the retreat was not the end of the process.  As the retreat was closing, the leaders scheduled a follow-up meeting where the men would share how they felt returning to “the world.”  Such follow-ups are prevalent in popular movements from Cursillos to Marriage Encounters.  Jesus hints at their necessity in today’s gospel.

Jesus has just driven out a demon.  The people wonder how he obtained such power.  He tries to convince them that it comes from God not the devil because the devil would not work against himself.  Then Jesus teaches the people that once cleaned of their impurities they must stay close to the Lord.  He might say that trying to remain in virtue without prayer and penitence is trying to stay clean without soap and water.  As he puts it, the devil can return with evil spirits more pernicious than what possessed the person before.

We do not use the terminology of spirits and demons even of evil today.  But this does not mean that they do not exist.  More sophisticated, we typically call the moral problems people face vices, deviant behaviors, and the like.  In any case, once we emerge from a bout with evil, we are wise to remain close to the Lord so that greater problems do not overwhelm us. 

Homilette for Thursday, October 11, 2007

Thursday, XXVII Week of ordinary Time

(Malachi 3:13-20b)

“Do we have to fear God?” a man asked a priest after Mass one day. When he received a positive reply, the man walked away shaking his head. Perhaps the priest, if he had time to think, might have said more precisely, “That depends on what you mean by fear.” The prophet Malachi gives us plenty of reason to fear God’s punishment. “For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,” he says, “when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble...” But St. Thomas Aquinas assures us, however, that the more we love God, the more our fear of punishment turns into a filial fear of offending someone so good.

In our age of indulgence many have come to think that an all-good and all-loving God will not punish the wicked. That’s hardly the testimony of the Bible. Both the Old Testament and the New emphasize that those who do evil will pay a heavy price for their deeds. We should fear God’s justice. But this fact alone gives us reason to love God. Being all-knowing and all-caring, He is a scrupulously fair judge who does not punish unnecessarily. Like we would not want to offend a person who has lived with as much integrity as Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, we would not want to cause any offense to God. Here filial fear takes over our fear of punishment so that we always do the right thing for the best reason.