Malachi 1:14 - 2:2. 8-10; 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9. 13; Matthew 23:1-12
Not many priests will feel comfortable with the readings
today; they are aimed directly at us, though every word could be applied in some
way to the laity too.
About five hundred years before Christ God delivers,
through the prophet Malachi, several clear reproaches to priests who:
- don't listen to God.
- don't glorify God.
- have strayed from the way.
- have caused many to stumble by their teaching.
- destroy the covenant.
- have not kept to God's paths.
- have shown partiality in their administration.
These recriminations are gravely serious. One can hear the
anguish, the hurt, and the righteous indignation of the offended King, and that
fact alone should make every priest tremble. To break faith with the Lord, or as
God puts it, 'to destroy the covenant' is no small thing.
A priest is called to 'listen to God'. When Jesus called
the Twelve he called them firstly: to be with him
(Mk 3:14), and consequently this is a
priest's first vocation; to be always with the Lord.
It goes without saying that to be with someone is to listen
to that person. Listening is the first casualty of a disintegrating
relationship. We have probably all had the experience of drifting from the
person at the other end of the telephone line to what is happening on the
television screen, and it's rather embarrassing to be caught out.
God is complaining that the priests had stopped listening
and were therefore no longer with him, and consequently were no longer
able to 'glorify' his name.
The Lord declares that his priests: have strayed from
the way …and … not kept to God's paths. If the shepherd does not keep
to the right path what are we to expect will happen to the sheep? The Lord
spells it out for us: You have caused many to stumble by your teaching.
These words from God, I am speaking personally now, stop me
dead in my tracks. To teach in God's name is a terrible responsibility as well
as an astonishing privilege which should be exercised with the utmost
seriousness. Indeed, a priest is ordained precisely to preach the gospel and to
celebrate the sacraments worthily, and so to build up communion in Christ.
Can you imagine the calamity it would be for me to suddenly
see that I had 'strayed from the way' of God's truth and 'caused many to
stumble'; that I had preached what the people wanted to hear rather than what
Christ wanted them to hear. I could think of few other things which would cause
me greater shame before God.
Without the slightest ambiguity the Lord pronounces
sentence on the guilty: I will send a curse on you and curse your very
blessing. In addition God will make those priests: contemptible and vile
in the eyes of the whole people… . We all know that when salt loses its
flavour it is thrown out and trampled upon.
Jesus, too, points out to the Scribes and Pharisees that
they have betrayed the covenant because they do not live the message they
preach. In fact, they use their position as leaders to advance their own egos
and win prestige for themselves.
Thank God for St Paul and the example he gives of true
ministerial zeal. He labours in preaching the gospel and lives it with
integrity. The understanding Paul has of his care for the Thessalonian community
is of a mother 'feeding and looking after her own children … eager to hand over
… not only the Good News but our whole lives'. What a contrast to the Jewish
leaders who 'do not practise what they preach!'
And thank God for the Thessalonian community which, on
hearing the message of Paul, immediately accepted it for what it really is,
God's message, and not some human thinking … . Therefore the message
of faith was a 'living power' among them.
The clear light of God's word still searches even today the
hearts of priests and people alike.
- Do we priests preach and live the message handed on to us by the apostles to the Church or do we change it and cause people to stumble?
- And do you, the people of God, accept that message from the Church without changing it, or make it into 'human thinking' and thereby cause it to lose its power?
9 comments:
Wow! Fr John! Powerful stuff...both for priests and as you said, also for laity. Was greatly struck by the words, "A priest's first vocation is to be always with the Lord"....and no idle words for you, as the rest of the homily goes on to show. Thanks for the inspirations and insights. Wow!
Superb! It is quite true that not many of us will be comfortable with these readings. Pride and hypocrisy will make us not like them. But this explains why they are quite relevant to us. Fr John has nicely applied them to the laity. Bravo!
really a good work and thought provoking. it is wonderful for the reflection priest and religious.excellent!
This is good.It is a call to recollection on the part of the priests and laity.Thanks Fr.John.
Wonderful. God still has powerful prophets on earth today. People who announce and denounce. Thank you Fr John for sharing your gift and fruit of reflection and prayer. No one can admit limitations who never reflects(prayers) and is far from receiving God's grace. Let's all pray for humility and continuous conversion.
This is great Padre! We preach at times to others, it is equally good we preach to ourselves directly. This stuff is quite touchy and inspiring. Thanks for calling us to consciousness.
the homily is really thought-provoking.the contemporary minds should ruminate over this. excellent!
Nice piece fr hope our priests will reflect on it. And for d laity may they know their role towards evangelisation. May the Holy Spirit the advocate enlighten us more Amen.
Magnificent, powerful homily! Thank you, Father!
Could we perhaps also have the 'extra' homily you gave at the end of Mass on calling priests "Father"...? I know that was not written/prepared, but it was brilliant too, and worth sharing. If you had time and inclination..? Maybe on your Reflections page?
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