By: Jude Siciliano, OP

Dear Preachers:

We are approaching the end of the Church year – and something is afoot. It is more than just a calendar event; as the opening lines of our first reading from the prophet Malachi make clear: "Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble…."

Malachi was one of the last of the twelve Minor Prophets. He wrote in the fifth century BC, after the exiles had returned from captivity. His name means "my messenger." He was addressing a spiritually lax community of returned exiles in Judah, calling both priests and people back to fidelity to God’s covenant. His message seems fitting for our own times as well. In addition, the prophet announces the coming of the "day of the Lord."

The images of fire and burning stubble symbolize God’s judgment. The world coasts along, committing acts of injustice against the poor, and it may seem to some that no one is held accountable. Does God even notice or care? Malachi stands in the prophetic tradition from Joel to Zephaniah, who describe "the day of the Lord" as both terrifying and decisive.

Yet the reading ends on a note of hope: "But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays." This is one of the most beautiful images in prophetic literature. It assures the faithful that, despite appearances, God has indeed noticed the plight of the oppressed. For them, liberation and joy will dawn.

The early Church saw this as a messianic prophecy pointing to Christ—and rightly so. The first readings at our Eucharists are chosen in light of the Gospel. Usually the first reading anticipates the fulfillment found in the Gospel. So, today the two share a common prophetic theme: the coming "day of the Lord," carrying twin messages of judgment and hope.

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to people admiring the beauty and adornment of the Temple, with its "costly stones and votive offerings." They seem distracted by the externals of religion as they gaze in awe at the building. Jesus, echoing Malachi’s sober voice, offers a wake-up call to those lost in superficial religion: "All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Those gazing in awe at the Temple would have thought it eternal, yet Jesus warns, "not one stone will be left upon another." It is not only a prediction of the Temple’s destruction; Jesus also warns of false prophets, wars, and persecution.

But is God planning to destroy because of false prophets and persecution? Is this simply Malachi’s "day of wrath"? Neither Malachi nor Luke proclaims a God intent on destruction, but rather a God who purifies and renews. On that "day blazing like an oven," Malachi envisions healing and freedom for the faithful. Jesus, foreseeing trials, wars, persecution, and loss, calls his followers to steadfast trust: "By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

We live amid uncertainty, and our world often seems on the verge of collapse – politically, morally, or personally. Our prophetic readings urge us to stand firm and trust in the Lord. Times of judgment and crisis may feel like the end, but they also herald God’s transforming light.

There are many ways we can experience the turmoil Malachi and Jesus describe – not only in great historical events, but in the "small endings" of our personal worlds. Today, the structures of society and leadership can appear unstable or unjust: wars, corruption, the erosion of trust in institutions, and social upheaval. As the people of Jesus’ time viewed the Temple as secure—the very center of Israel’s identity—so too we may cling to what once felt stable. Yet the Gospel reminds us that while human power fades, God’s reign endures.

This truth reaches into our personal lives as well. There are "small apocalypses" when life feels shaken – by illness, betrayal, failure, or deep change. In such moments, Jesus assures us that God remains constant, even when everything else feels uncertain.

At times we may experience collapse and loss. In those moments, Malachi’s image of purifying fire and Christ’s call to endurance remind us that faith – not fear – is our sure foundation.

As the change in tone of our recent readings indicates, the liturgical year is drawing to a close. The Scriptures remind us that we already know the side God has taken and that present injustices will not have the final word. As we await God’s resolution, we continue, as best we can, to live faithfully, to do God’s will, and to stand with God against injustice. After all, has not the "sun of justice" already risen upon us and illuminated our path?