CT - Catholic Telegraph

We are all called to contribute to proper worship

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (A), Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10.

The overture reading and the gospel reading for this Sunday are both concerned with religious leadership. Both readings are a call to consistency in those who spoke for God. In both the Old Testament and the New, religious leaders did not practice what they preached and, as a result, led the people astray.

The Book of Malachi dates from about 450 B.C. The Israelites had returned from exile. The temple had been rebuilt some 65 years before. But both priests and people seemed to have lost interest. It was a time of religious superficiality and general spiritual drifting. The priests were self-serving. They were no longer careful to offer the kinds of sacrifices called for by the law, and they seem to have abandoned their responsibilities of teaching and guidance.

The ordinary people, on the other hand, were no longer willing to expend their energy in preserving their religious identity. There seems to have been a widespread practice of Israelite men divorcing the wife of their youth and marrying a foreign, idolatrous woman.

We don’t know much about the author of Malachi. That probably wasn’t his real name. It is Hebrew for "my messenger." We only hear from him one other time in the three-year Sunday cycle (i.e., on the 33rd. Sunday in Ordinary Time in Year C).

Our reading from Malachi begins with a kind of trumpet flourish that calls for attention from all the prophet’s hearers.

Then the text calls for attention and response from the priests. If they did not listen to the Lord, the Lord would undermine their service, and their ministry would become not only ineffective, but downright destructive.

The following section of the reading deals with the instructional and directive responsibilities of the priests. They had been unfaithful to their calling and have lost their credibility in the eyes of the people.

The reading speaks of "the covenant of Levi." There does not seem to be any mention in the Pentateuch or in the historical books of a special contract or covenant between God and the priestly classes. However, in Deuteronomy 31:9-13 and 33:10 God entrusts the members of the tribe of Levi with the task of teaching the law to future generations of Israelites. Thus, they were not just to be agents of ritual, but also guardians and teachers of the traditions of the people.

The last verse of our reading ("Have we not all one Father ...") really belongs to the next section of Malachi’s prophecy, in which he will take out after the inappropriate marriage practices of the people. However, its inclusion here seems to indicate that those who chose the texts for the lectionary wanted to suggest that what is said about the priests and Levites also applies in some way to the people at large.

The religious leaders are not detached and separated from the people. Because God is the Father of all, all have some responsibility for right worship and for careful handing on of the religious tradition. Jesus seems to be making a similar point when He says that religious leadership should not be disjoined from the rest of the people as if they were some sort of elite class in a special relationship with God: "You have but one Father in heaven."

There may be different roles in the community, whether in the community of Malachi or the community of Jesus, but the basics are shared by everybody. We are all called to contribute to proper worship. We are all called to help hand on the laws and traditions of the Lord. Our common fatherhood in God calls us all to participate in what pertains to God.

Sometimes it seems easy to criticize our religious leaders. The pastor isn’t doing what we would like. The liturgy isn’t according to our taste. What’s taught is not being taught effectively. "They," our bishops and priests and other church ministers, really aren’t doing a very good job. That may indeed be the case. Certainly there is always room for improvement in the quality of our worship and in our catechetical efforts.

But merely standing back to evaluate and offer judgment doesn’t seem to be what the Lord is calling for in today’s reading. If we are all children of our Father, then the proper response to what our brothers and sisters do is not detached criticism but a willingness to help carry out our Father’s will. After all, faith is a family enterprise.

For reflection and discussion

How fervent is my religious practice?

What are my teaching responsibilities as a Christian believer?



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	*Overtures* Reflection on the first readings of the Sunday liturgy By Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk We are all called to contribute to proper worship Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (A), Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10. The overture reading and the gospel reading for this Sunday are both concerned with religious leadership. Both readings are a call to consistency in those who spoke for God. In both the Old Testament and the New, religious leaders did not practice what they preached and, as a result, led the people astray. The Book of Malachi dates from about 450 B.C. The Israelites had returned from exile. The temple had been rebuilt some 65 years before. But both priests and people seemed to have lost interest. It was a time of religious superficiality and general spiritual drifting. The priests were self-serving. They were no longer careful to offer the kinds of sacrifices called for by the law, and they seem to have abandoned their responsibilities of teaching and guidance. The ordinary people, on the other hand, were no longer willing to expend their energy in preserving their religious identity. There seems to have been a widespread practice of Israelite men divorcing the wife of their youth and marrying a foreign, idolatrous woman. We don’t know much about the author of Malachi. That probably wasn’t his real name. It is Hebrew for "my messenger." We only hear from him one other time in the three-year Sunday cycle (i.e., on the 33rd. Sunday in Ordinary Time in Year C). Our reading from Malachi begins with a kind of trumpet flourish that calls for attention from all the prophet’s hearers. Then the text calls for attention and response from the priests. If they did not listen to the Lord, the Lord would undermine their service, and their ministry would become not only ineffective, but downright destructive. The following section of the reading deals with the instructional and directive responsibilities of the priests. They had been unfaithful to their calling and have lost their credibility in the eyes of the people. The reading speaks of "the covenant of Levi." There does not seem to be any mention in the Pentateuch or in the historical books of a special contract or covenant between God and the priestly classes. However, in Deuteronomy 31:9-13 and 33:10 God entrusts the members of the tribe of Levi with the task of teaching the law to future generations of Israelites. Thus, they were not just to be agents of ritual, but also guardians and teachers of the traditions of the people. The last verse of our reading ("Have we not all one Father ...") really belongs to the next section of Malachi’s prophecy, in which he will take out after the inappropriate marriage practices of the people. However, its inclusion here seems to indicate that those who chose the texts for the lectionary wanted to suggest that what is said about the priests and Levites also applies in some way to the people at large. The religious leaders are not detached and separated from the people. Because God is the Father of all, all have some responsibility for right worship and for careful handing on of the religious tradition. Jesus seems to be making a similar point when He says that religious leadership should not be disjoined from the rest of the people as if they were some sort of elite class in a special relationship with God: "You have but one Father in heaven." There may be different roles in the community, whether in the community of Malachi or the community of Jesus, but the basics are shared by everybody. We are all called to contribute to proper worship. We are all called to help hand on the laws and traditions of the Lord. Our common fatherhood in God calls us all to participate in what pertains to God. Sometimes it seems easy to criticize our religious leaders. The pastor isn’t doing what we would like. The liturgy isn’t according to our taste. What’s taught is not being taught effectively. "They," our bishops and priests and other church ministers, really aren’t doing a very good job. That may indeed be the case. Certainly there is always room for improvement in the quality of our worship and in our catechetical efforts. But merely standing back to evaluate and offer judgment doesn’t seem to be what the Lord is calling for in today’s reading. If we are all children of our Father, then the proper response to what our brothers and sisters do is not detached criticism but a willingness to help carry out our Father’s will. After all, faith is a family enterprise. For reflection and discussion** How fervent is my religious practice? What are my teaching responsibilities as a Christian believer?

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