Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Cycle A)
Readings:
Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10
Psalm 131:1-3
1 Thessalonians 2:7b-9, 13
Matthew 23:1-12
Abbreviations: NABRE (New American Bible Revised Edition), NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name, YHWH (Yahweh).
The two Testaments reveal God's divine plan for humanity; therefore, we read and relive the events of salvation history in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of the Readings: The Ministerial Service of the Priesthood
We expect the best ministerial service our priests and bishops can offer. This service consists of sacramental ministration, preaching the Gospel, and teaching the doctrine of the Church. In their ministry, they are servants of God and His Household, the Kingdom of the Church. In today's First Reading and Gospel Reading, we hear unkind words directed against the Old Covenant Church's priests and leaders. The Second Reading, however, provides an example of righteous ministerial service.
In the First Reading, God addressed the priests through the prophet Malachi. He admonished them for neglecting their duty to instruct the people in the Law of the Sinai Covenant and showing favoritism to particular congregation members. They had forgotten that they belong to God and are His representatives to His covenant people.
The Responsorial Psalm is a good prayer for every child of God, including priests. It is a short prayer that offers sound advice on maintaining a close relationship with the Lord. The psalmist advises that a person be neither proud nor arrogant and find peace for his soul in his loving and humble relationship with God.
The Second Reading is from St. Paul's letter to the faith community he and his missionary team founded at Thessalonica in Greece. Instead of taking credit for the conversions in Thessalonica for himself, Paul, in humility, graciously referred to the entire missionary team's labors and gave credit for their success to God.
In the Gospel Reading, Jesus criticized the religious leaders of His time for serving themselves by putting forward their agendas and self-interests at the expense of serving God and His people. Jesus upheld the authority of the people's religious leaders as the successors of Moses. However, He warned the people to do what they said but not to imitate their actions because they did not practice what they preached. He condemned the Pharisees' misinterpretation of Mosaic Law, their excessive show of piety that was only a sham to put them in a good light, and their delight in being honored and singled out for praise, putting themselves above the ordinary people.
Our priests who serve Jesus's New Covenant Kingdom should reflect on these readings as a constructive critique of priests, their ministry, and their leadership within the family of the Church. Do they fulfill their obligation to teach both the blessings for the obedience of faith and the warnings of punishments for covenant failure? Do they inspire their parishioners to holiness? Do they excuse or neglect to preach about certain sins that have become socially accepted practices, or do they have the moral courage to speak out against the mortal sins that secular society embraces, like fornication (sex outside of marriage), adultery, and abortion?
As for those of us in the congregation of the faithful, we should strive to support our priests, offer constructive criticism in love when needed, and encourage them spiritually and emotionally in their ministry. We should also remember that our priests are imperfect human beings like the rest of us and pray for them to succeed in their calling and to find peace and fulfillment in their service.
The First Reading Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10 ~ Sins of the Priests and Levites
1:14b A great King am I, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. 2:1 And now, O priests, this commandment is for you: If you do not listen, 2 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. [...] 8 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. 9 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. 10 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?
The Book of Malachi is the last of the books of the Minor Prophets and the final book in the Christian Old Testament before the beginning of the New Testament Gospels. The inspired writer is unknown. The book's title, "Malachi," is from Malachi 3:1 and means "my messenger." The book dates to the return of the "faithful remnant" of the Judahite exiles from Babylon around 460 BC. They had rebuilt the Temple and restored public worship. However, the Levitical chief priests and lesser ministers were failing in their covenant obligations. Malachi's message focuses on religious ritual and the liturgy of worship as an expression of fidelity to Yahweh and His Covenant.
In verse 1, God reproves the priests for not honoring Him and their shortcomings in not adequately teaching the people the commands and prohibitions of God's Law (Mal 2:8). Also, they failed to lead their congregation with impartiality, favoring some members while ignoring others (Mal 2:9; see Dt 10:17; Rom 2:11). He accuses them of not being faithful to the covenant God made with the tribe of Levi concerning their ministerial service (Ex 40:12-15; Lev 2:13; Num 3:12; 18:1-7, 15-19; Dt 18:1-8; 33:8-11; Sir 45:7/8, 15/18-19). A priest's ministry is not his own; he is the Lord's representative to His covenant people. God's ordained minister is His messenger (mal'ak), and his instruction to the people should have the wisdom and impartiality of God's Word and His holy Law. In the Old Covenant, the priest stood before the congregation as a redeemed man. However, in the New Covenant, the burden of a priest's holy service is greater since he stands before the congregation in the image of Jesus Christ!
The Responsorial Psalm 131:1-3 ~ The Humble Trust in God
Response: "In you, Lord, I have found my peace."
1 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.
Response:
2 Rather, I have stilled my soul, like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on
its mother's lap, so is my soul within me.
Response:
3 Israel, hope in the LORD, both now and forever.
Response:
The psalmist uses the imagery of a baby enjoying the comfort and security of its mother's lap (verse 2) to provide a model for Israel's faith in their Lord. This short psalm is an excellent daily prayer for every Christian. On our journey through life's struggles, we can find internal peace and freedom from anxiety by focusing on the Lord if we give up self-sufficiency (verse 1). If we continually turn to God and His Word, Jesus Christ, we can reject the lures of sin in the secular world, trust in God, and feel secure like a little child in the arms of a loving parent.
The Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 2:7b-9, 13 ~ St. Paul's Ministry Among the Thessalonians
7b We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares
for her children. 8 With such affection for you, we were determined to share
with you not only the Gospel (good news) of God, but our very selves as well, so
dearly beloved had you become to us. 9 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. [...] 13 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.
In contrast to the priests Malachi reproved in the First Reading, St. Paul and his missionary team were examples of righteous and humble ministers of the Lord. St. Paul visited the city of Thessalonica in Macedonia (Greece) with Sts. Silvanus, Timothy, and the other team members during his second missionary journey in about 50 A.D. (Acts 17:1-13). Paul viewed the founding of the church in Thessalonica as a team effort; therefore, he wrote in the first person plural ("we," "us," or "our").
St. Paul compared his missionary team working among the Thessalonian converts to a mother nursing her children. Paul and his team gently nurtured the Thessalonians, newly reborn in the Sacrament of Baptism, with the Gospel of salvation. He reminded them of the love his team showed the converts as they worked "night and day in order not to burden" any of them in proclaiming the Gospel (verse 9b). Paul may be referring to their labor to support themselves, so they were not a financial burden to the converts. During his missionary journeys, Paul usually supported himself as a tentmaker, so he did not burden a fledgling community with the cost of caring for him (Acts 18:3; 20:33-34).
In verse 13, St. Paul took no credit for their efforts for himself or the team. He humbly gave all the credit for the mission's success among the Thessalonians to God, who was at work in them and in those who received their Gospel message with open hearts.
The Gospel Reading Matthew 23:1-12 ~ Jesus
Affirms the Teaching Authority of the Leaders of the Old Covenant Church but
Denounces their Practices
1 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his
disciples, 2 saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on
the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell
you, but do not follow their example. For they preach, but they do not
practice. 4 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. 5 All their works are
performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
6 They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, 7 greetings
in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.' 8 As for you, do not be called
'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 Call no one on
earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. 10 Do not be called
'Master'; you have but one master, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you must
be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles
himself will be exalted."
The "chair of Moses" in verse 2 refers to the teaching and ruling authority the Pharisees and scribes held over the people in the local Jewish synagogues. The teaching authority in the Temple belonged to the chief priests. The 1st-century A.D. Jewish priest and historian Flavius Josephus wrote that the Pharisees' power was so great that they changed some liturgical practices in the Temple. They ended the chief priests' recitation of the Ten Commandments during the worship service because they said it gave the wrong impression that those commandments were more important than the other articles of the Law. Later, after Jesus's Resurrection, they changed the day of the week for the observance of the Feasts of Firstfruits and Weeks/Pentecost, so those feasts no longer fell on the first day of the week, our Sunday (Antiquities of the Jews, 13.8.4). As a result of this change, those feasts longer coincided with Jesus's Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit to the New Covenant community on the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost. They were the only two annual holy feasts with a prescribed day of the week instead of a specific date with a changing day of observance from year to year (Lev 23:5-44).
In verse 2, Jesus upheld the authority of the people's religious leaders as the successors of Moses. However, He warned the people to do what they said but not imitate their actions because they did not practice what they preached. Some of Jesus's criticisms of the Pharisees and scribes include:
5 All their
works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen
their tassels.
The phylacteries
(the Greek word for tefillin in Hebrew) were small leather boxes containing
Scripture passages. God commanded that they be fastened with leather straps to a
Jewish man's arm and forehead during prayer time. The man wore the arm straps
on either the right or left arm and hand. A left-handed person wrapped the
straps on the right arm and hand, and the right-handed person on the left arm
and hand (Ex 13:9, 16;
Dt 6:8; 11:18). Like the tassels worn on the four
corners of the outer cloak (Num 15:37-39; Dt 22:12), they were signs that
identified Jewish men as the people of God. In obedience to the Law, Jesus wore
the tassels on His outer garment (Mt 9:20; 14:36). The requirements for
phylacteries or tassels did not apply to women.
In verses 8-10, Jesus advised the people not to single out their religious leaders for excessive titles of honor and praise that would make them equal to God the Father and the Messiah. He did not mean we should call no man father or teacher. That would mean one couldn't refer to the head of one's family, one's male progenitor, as "father." Jesus even referred to Abraham as "father Abraham" (Lk 16:24). However, men who have those titles should not be held equal in authority to God or the Messiah (speaking of Himself). It was a continuation of Jesus's teaching to His disciples on practicing humility in serving God (Mt 18:1-5; 19:30; 20:16, 25-28). The genuinely humble do not seek out special recognition for themselves. The praise they seek is God's praise. As St. Peter wrote in his letter to the Church, So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time (1 Pt 5:6).
Catechism references (* indicates that Scripture is quoted or paraphrased in the
citation):
Malachi 2:8-9 (CCC 1540*);
2:10 (CCC 238)
Psalm 131:2-3 (CCC 370*); 131:2 (CCC 239*)
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (CCC 104*, 1349*)
Matthew 23:9 (CCC 2367*); 23:12 (CCC 526*)
Moral life and Christian witness (CCC 2044)
Priesthood for service; human frailty of leaders (CCC 876*, 1550, 1551*)
Michal E Hunt, Copyright © 2017; revised 2023 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.