Malachi

464doc.

Scripture: Lectionary 464: Malachi 3:13-20. Psalm 1:1-2.3-4.6. Luke 11:5-13

Malachi is the name applied to last of the Minor Prophetical books. It means “My Messenger, or my Angel.” The book is often seen as a transition from the time of prophetical literature to that of Wisdom and Scribal writings. It is best placed after 515 B.C. and fits in well with the context offered by Ezra, the Scribe and Nehemiah, the “governor.” In a sense it deals with the sacred and the secular. Since the Day of Yahweh is one of its themes, there is often some application of the text to what will happen in the world at the end, for example, there are creative myths about the time of the last Pope or Bishop of Rome even pointing to the last portraits of the popes found in the basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls in Rome. A guide who was asked about this pointed to the last two or three mosaics of Popes from the beginning that after those three are filled with a pope then we will simply start a new row of them underneath the existing ones! A good way to put aside the false reading of Malachi to speak of our times and the end time as though it were soon to happen.

The author is concerned about the same things as Ezra and Nehemiah were concerned: priests not observing the ritual, purity, and reverence for the Temple; not permitting divorce and intermarriage; a great concern for social justice toward the poor, the widows, and the aliens or refugees.

The book or better the scroll of Malachi is a final prophetic work before we enter the writings of the Wisdom literature and the hagiographical writings in the Old Testament found in I and II Maccabees.

Catholics have traditionally seen and appropriated one of the texts to speak about the Mass, but this is not the context of Malachi, nor a prophetic prediction, but more devotional application by the Church. (cf. Mal 1:11 and 4:1).

We can learn much about the dignity of marriage, the responsibility of priests and deacons, and the issues of social justice by reflecting upon this book in the light of what our Psalm and its response is encouraging us to do. Psalm 1 is a Wisdom Psalm that emphasizes the need to ponder over the Torah in order to have a harvest of virtues necessary for the righteous person. Such pondering would include the married, the priests, the poor, the widows, the children, and the elderly as well as the alien or refugee. Isn’t this a universal call to holiness? Malachi offers some holy and wholesome advice to those who take the time to read it. We only use it here in the liturgical readings for the year. We are all called from our apathy and self-centered interests to a wholesome and virtuous way of living no matter what our state of life is. We have to realize that God still loves us and always will and then live with that over against our laziness of spirit and our lack of attentiveness to God in prayer. Amen.