Reading 1 Mal 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10
A great King am I, says the LORD of hosts,
and my name will be feared among the nations.
And now, O priests, this commandment is for you:
If you do not listen,
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.
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.
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.
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?
Responsorial Psalm Ps 131:1, 2, 3
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
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.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother's lap,
so is my soul within me.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
Reading 2 1 Thes 2:7b-9, 13
Brothers and sisters:
We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.
With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you
not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well,
so dearly beloved had you become to us.
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.
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.
Gospel Mt 23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
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.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called 'Master';
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
Meditation: Malachi 1:14–2:2,8-10
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“Have we not all the one father?” (Malachi 2:10)
With one simple question, the prophet Malachi gets to the heart of who we are. Since we all come from the same Father, we are all equal in dignity. We all have an equal claim to the gift of life, and we all deserve the same respect and the same level of care as everyone else.
Malachi was speaking here to the priests of Jerusalem, who were abusing their role as leaders. They were showing partiality and taking advantage of their positions. Because of their scandalous behavior and lopsided teachings, many of the people under their care began to “falter” (Malachi 2:8). The situation got so bad that Malachi accused these priests of making void the covenant God made with their spiritual ancestor Levi!
Contrast their behavior with Paul’s description of his ministry to the people of Thessalonica: “We were gentle among you… . We were determined to share with you … our very selves” (1 Thessalonians 2:7,8). Paul understood the dignity that every child of God shares. He was clearly aware of the one Father we all share, the one God who created each of us.
Today’s readings invite us to examine our thoughts and behavior. Are there groups of people whom we look down upon? Perhaps people from a different social or economic background. Maybe we look suspiciously at people who follow a different religion or who have different political convictions. Of course, we should hold on to the truth as God has revealed it, but we should also treat everyone with the utmost respect. If Jesus valued them enough to die for them, shouldn’t we treat them—and everyone we meet—with honor?
“Heavenly Father, help me to treat other people with dignity. In every way that my life touches another, let that touch be soaked in your love for that person as your child!”
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