Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
This Sunday’s readings are all about priests. Malachi goes after them hard, as does Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel. Paul talks about his and his companions’ priestly duties and how they seek to carry them out with humility and service, contrasting the other two readings. The message looks to be pretty clear this week! You better be good if you’re a priest!
Okay! I’m done. Have a great week everyone!
But…then again…the messages in the Bible often have meaning outside of the obvious. Did you know, that when we are baptized into the Kingdom of God, we are made prophets, kings or queens, and…PRIESTS?! We aren’t ordained to administer sacraments and we can’t preside over the Holy Mass, but we are all called to be Kingdom priests – preaching the Gospel to those God brings into our lives. So, maybe these readings are for all of us. Maybe we better pay close attention to the words of Malachi, the instructions of Paul, and the warnings of Jesus!
The first reading, especially, is resonating with me this week. The prophet really hammers on priests leading the people astray. He goes so far as to accuse them of making void the covenant! And he says that all their blessings will turn to curses. Those are some convicting words!!
This time of year, I have a tradition to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And something sticks out to me every year, and that was especially true this year. This year, the message of people with influence leading others astray stuck out to me, as with the first reading.
There are three examples I think can help us in our own priesthood. First is King Theoden of Rohan. When the bad guys are getting ready to attack, Theoden chooses to run and shelter his people in this huge castle. But there is no way out and if things go bad, everyone will be lost. He wants to do the right thing, but he is afraid and lacks faith, so he chooses what feels safe. Wanting to do the right thing is not always enough. It takes courage and faith to face some challenges. Otherwise, we could unknowingly lead people astray.
Second, is Denethor, the steward of Gondor. In his arrogance, he does not see the wisdom of those around him and rejects the council of those who may know better. He later gives in to despair when his plans lead to disaster. He loses faith (because he had placed it in himself) and leads others to despair as well. Our pride makes us believe we can lead on our own, which will always lead down a path to despair. If we aren’t led by God, we risk leading others into ruin.
Gollum is our last example. He convinces Frodo and Sam to take a secret way into Mordor, but neglects to tell them of the giant spider-like creature waiting to eat them! Gollum wants to lead the hobbits astray because he wants to steal the ring of power for himself. The ring represents a lot of things in Tolkien’s story; sin, worldliness, corruption, selfishness, to name a few. And Gollum is consumed by all of them. He is what we become if we allow these things to distance us from God. Worse yet, he is what we become if we bring others with us. You may think, “This one is easy to avoid! I’m not EVER going to be a Gollum!” But don’t drop your guard. Sin may seem small…but it adds up.
My conclusion is the same as my opening…but casting a MUCH wider net. I’m talking to everyone, I’m talking to you, I’m talking to me…especially me…
You better be good, priests.