Reflection for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time 11/13/2022

By Linda Fitzgerald, Notre Dame Associate
Malachi 3:19-20a
“Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts.” — Malachi 3:19
“…it will leave them no root or branch (of course, this is a metaphor, the proverbial expression is showing complete destruction compared to cutting down a tree and digging up its roots, so that it will never sprout and grow again.”) Unger, Merrill F., The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, 1208. Chicago: Moody Press, 1988.
The sixth disputation (the action of disputing or an academic exercise in oral defense of a thesis by formal logic).
This is an oracle against the people of Judah concerning their unfaithfulness to the covenant.
The people fail to fear and honor God; the arrogant are called blessed and the people think serving God is futile. What really will happen is the righteous will triumph and the evildoers will be judged. They will be set on fire which equals complete destruction.
“But for you who fear my name, the sun of justice will arise with healing in its wings.” — Malachi 3:20
The image of “sun of justice” (sun=son=Jesus) references a winged solar disk. The image of wings hovering over the earth does convey divine omnipresence and uncontested power. Like many of the Psalms the faithful take refuge in the shadow of the Lord’s “wings,” where they are protected from all manner of harm and enjoy continuous blessings. (Page 288 Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word. United States Edition, Year C, 2022.)
1. Do I find myself jealous, angry, etc. when evildoers seem to prosper? How do I cope?
2. So, what do we gain by keeping the Lord’s commands?
3. Name some ways that the Lord has protected you/me from harm.
4. What are some of the continuous blessings that we receive?
God bless everyone and enjoy a very precious, thankful Thanksgiving!