The Sun of Righteousness: Reflections on the Readings for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Malachi 3:19-20a
Psalm 98
2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
Luke 21:5-19

Can’t find Malachi 3:19-20 in your bible? Some Bible translations (the Revised Standard Edition, for example) follow the Latin Vulgate thereby taking the last six verses of Malachi and making them a fourth chapter. So, in those versions, today’s first reading is Malachi 4:1-2. Also, those translations use the term “righteousness” rather than “justice.”

The Sun of Righteousness or the Sun of Justice is a reference to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. From The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, “Jesus Christ is stretching out His hands on the holy tree, unfolded two wings, the right and the left, and called all who believed in Him to come to Him.” These are His “healing wings” or His “healing rays.”

The day which is coming that will set them on fire is obviously Hell as neither root nor branch will remain. The blazing oven is an incinerator, symbolizing Hell. Clearly a warning for the proud and the evildoers. God’s lessons seem always to involve a call for humility. As Dr. Kreeft says, “God has to keep reminding us of the two most obvious truths in the world: that we are not Him, and that He is not us.” (Food for the Soul, Cycle C)

Psalm 98 also picks up on the theme of righteousness and justice. “The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.” The Lord is the just judge. He deals with everyone with equity, treating all with fairness.  Not only will the peoples rejoice with harp, trumpets and song, but all creation (the rivers, the seas and the mountains) will resound with joy. For God comes as a victor, as a ruler, as the just king who reigns.

Saint Paul tells the Thessalonians to use him as a model, to imitate his dealings with them as he was imitating Christ. In a way what he describes is how he acted justly while with them, not being a burden, working day and night. He says what seems to be harsh advice, “when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.” However, he is merely telling them that everyone has responsibilities and should meet them to the best of their ability. According to The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Paul was addressing what had become an embarrassment for them. Apparently many had become idlers and freeloaders relying on the charity of others rather than taking care of themselves and contributing to the betterment of the community.

Some had also become busybodies, meddling in the business of others. He almost sounds like a father admonishing his children to mind their own plates and eat their own food. The Catechism addresses personal responsibility to promote the common good through conscientious work and so forth, “participating in the good of others and of society.” (CCC 1913-1914)

Also, referencing this passage from Saint Paul, the Catechism notes that “work is a duty.” (CCC 2427) It adds, “Work honors the Creator’s gifts and the talent received from Him. It can also be redemptive. ... [Man] shows himself to be a disciple of Christ by carrying the cross, daily, in the work he is called to accomplish.” Doing our duty is a form of righteousness. “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'” (Luke 17:10)

The gospel reading not only prophesies the destruction of the temple, which we heard in last week’s readings, but also the end of the world. However, Jesus warns us, there will be lots of signs and events before that happens, including people professing to be Him. As He has cautioned before, do not be deceived. He again warns that His followers will be persecuted as He did during the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:10-12).

However, we are to trust in Him as He will give us the words for our defense. Nevertheless, some will be put to death, and we will be hated because of the name of Jesus. He tells us that we will not be destroyed. This is because, as He said previously, we will be attaining to eternal life.

“By [our] perseverance [we] will secure [our] lives." This is similar to His warnings in the gospels of Matthew and Mark. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away, ... And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ... But he who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:9-13, also Mark 13:13)

Jesus warns us that we will be handed over by our own family members. We see a lot of this persecution already in today’s world. The assault on the family will only exacerbate things as families break up and lose their cohesion. Internal allegiances and infighting are becoming a challenge to the old adage “blood is thicker than water.” We frequently see people calling others to ostracize family members who don’t think like them, not only for political reasons but also for things like climate change and religion. There are even some who advocate violence for those who oppose their views, rather than engage in any sort of civil discussion. Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), hating anything related to President Trump even if it’s something the Democrats had proposed previously, is a perfect example. Similarly, the murder of Charlie Kirk, who was non-violent, and those who condone his murder, shows the depth of depravity to which our society has sunk.

We have people who have touted science as an answer, yet when the science shows them they are wrong, such as life beginning at conception or the fact that there are only two sexes, will then deny the science. This goes beyond moral relativism, which is ruining society. Those who claim to be “anti-fascists” engage in fascist tactics to push their agenda. And openly Marxist politicians are getting elected despite the fact that Marxism (communism) has never worked and has killed over one hundred million people in the last hundred-plus years. Those societies encourage families turning in family members. Socialism and communism are false philosophies and are in direct opposition to Catholic Social Doctrine. Pope St. John XXIII said in 1961, “no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism” because “socialism … takes no account of any objective other than that of material well-being” and “places too severe a restraint on human liberty.” Socialism and communism are anti-Church, anti-family, and anti-personal property.

"No one can be at the same time a sincere Catholic and true socialist."

Pope Pius XI, Quadressimo Anno (1931)