curse?

Malachi 1:14-2:2,8-10; Ps 13 In you Lord, I have found my peace; 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9,13; Mt 23:1-12

Listen the words of the prophet Malachi, "I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse."

These are the words of of God spoken by the prophet. Think about those words, "I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse."

Really! Wow! what appropriate readings with Halloween right around the corner.

Is God really going to curse someone? Cursing doesn't seem like something the God of love would be about. Cursing seems a bit vindictive rather than merciful!

Would God really wish that evil or harm would befall someone?

What is this curse business all about anyway.

The answer is both a yes and a no.

No, God doesn't wish evil to befall anyone. God is love. God is good. Evil is an absence of good, as St. Augustine put it.

God is not some warlock in the sky sending evil and harmful realities our way.

But God does let us experience the effects of our wonderings. God will let us experience the negative effects of our choices and decisions.

God will give us what we ask for, this is true.

This is what the prophet Malachi is speaking about when he speaks of God cursing.

God will grant our desires. He will let us experience the negative side effects of the decisions and choices we make.

These negative side effects have a far reaching effect.

Listen to Malachi again. "You have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instructions; you have made void the covenant of Levi, says the lord of hosts."

God does not cheat us from our freedom but lets us experience the reality of the freedom by which we choose to live.

How often is this the case and we blame God and refuse to be responsible and accountable for our own actions.

I try to remind people of this every time I celebrate a baptism. I smear the children with the oil of Catechumen on the chest prior to baptism.

I often remark how the oil is slippery. The oil reminds us that we are slippery from the hands of the devil the moment we are baptized. The devil has no power any longer. The only way evil can be brought into our life is by the abuse of our freedom or the abuse of some else's freedom.

I try to remind people of the necessity of being prudent with the choices we make so that good is served.

God desires to bless us abundantly but he will also grant us what we desire and with it comes all the negative side effects as well.

IT isn't that God curses us; rather we curse ourselves by our choices and actions.

Now we move to the gospel...

The words of Jesus are a warning not just to the scribes and pharisees but to all of us in leadership.

"For they preach but do not practice."

This is reminiscent of the old adage, "Do as I say not as I do" morality.

This never works. We all know integrity is what moves us. Words are cheap. Actions matter most of all.

Are we guilty of this? Do we preach and not practice?

Secondly Jesus says the scribes and pharisees only want to be noticed, "They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor...(not to mention titles such as) "Rabbi".

The phylacteries are leather boxes that would be worn on the forehead and left arm during morning prayer. These boxes contained scriptures. Apparently, size did matter to some.

Some would increase the size of their box so that others might comment about their piety or devotion. The focus shifted from glory to God to glory to oneself.


We all can fall into this trap. How easy is it to be seduced by the lime light? How easy is it to be seduced by the titles and prestige and the notoriety?

How often do we make our life about us rather than about God in Christ?

Leave the show behind. Be who you were created to be, that is to remember we were created for glory first to give it then and only then receive it.

Again we go back to Malachi, "If yo do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name..."

This is the central theme of the readings. This must become the check list for our lifestyle and actions.

Does it give glory to His name?

Ad majorem Dei gloria: for the greater glory of God