Por Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB

This 31^st Sunday our Church offers in the scriptures several signs of the end. She chooses Malachi, last of the prophets. His very name indicates he is God’s messenger, and he laments the horrible state of God’s people. Cyrus had sent the captives home from Persia. They had rebuilt the Temple, but that was not enough. Priests had become unfaithful to the temple liturgy; men had married pagan women often divorcing their Hebrew wives; others denied God’s interest in the affairs of men. Still others denied there was a God. Like John the Baptist, Malachi cried out, “Repent!”

St. Paul in the second reading continues to urge that we imitate him, working hard at our daily duties while keeping the faith he had taught. He offered them, he said, “Not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well.” Self-sacrifice together with faith was for Paul a sure way of being one with Christ, now and into eternal life.

Harassment from Jerusalem had continued. In last week’s gospel Jesus embarrassed them with a trick question of his own using the same Roman coin they used to pay the Temple tax. This week, perhaps free of tormentors, Jesus spoke to the Twelve and the crowd in strong accusations against his foes. These people, He said, have assumed the leadership of Moses. Observe what they tell you to do, BUT don’t be like them. They don’t practice what they preach; they place heavy obligations on people but do nothing to help them. BESIDES, every good thing they do, they do to be seen. They widen the great commandment scrolls on their foreheads and lengthen their tasseled prayer robes. ALSO, they seek places of honor at dinners or front seats at the synagogue, greetings at the market, and they love to be called Rabbi, that is Teacher. 

Then for the people listening, Jesus added: You are all brothers. Yet, all of you don’t have the same father. You are brothers because of your Father in Heaven; And call no one on earth your master. Only the Christ is your master. Are persons greater than you? They must be your servants.