Thirty First Sunday In Ordinary Time (Year A)

Mal 1.14-2.2, 8-10;
I Thess 2.7-9, 13;
Mt 23.1-12

I am a great king, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is to be feared throughout the nations. Those were the very first words of the Old Testament reading of today, from the prophet Malachi. The phrase ‘fear of the Lord’ seems old-fashioned and, nowadays, not very user-friendly. We like to think that God is so kind and generous that there is no need to fear him. People find it offensive that they should expect to fear a God who is all-loving, merciful, and compassionate. As a result, we might say that God has been ‘domesticated’, and the abbreviation OMG! (O! MY GOD!) seems to be the thing in vogue. Mankind has always wished to describe God in his understanding, to contain and control God, and our dislike of the idea of fearing the Lord’s name is but another analogy. However, the fear of the Lord has been placed within us as a spiritual gift, whether we like it or not! It is one of the sevenfold spiritual gifts that are given when the bishop or priest says the Prayer of Confirmation over the candidates. The traditional names for the sevenfold gifts are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

At the root of the matter, when we speak of fear of the Lord is the fact that God is our creator. He is different from us. He is omnipotent, eternal, and omniscient – in a modern language, he is all-powerful, ever-living, and all-knowing. In the Old Testament, this was displayed in the theophanies or moments of self-revelation by God. They took place on smoldering and shaking mountains, amid ferocious thunderstorms or after some incredible natural event had taken place. This was to guard against humans becoming over-familiar with God. In the wake of Vatican II, the liturgy in the vernacular became widespread, with most parishes celebrating Mass only in the commonly spoken language. One of the results of this has been, many argue, a loss in the sense of wonder and awe in God’s presence. It is true that often, in the old days, Mass was rushed through. But if you go to Mass in a monastery cathedral or church where the Latin liturgy is used, there is an immediate sense of the ‘otherness’ of God. As far as we know, the kind of expressions used in our translations have recently been scrutinized by the Vatican and found wanting. The language has been criticized for lacking a sense of mystery. It is possible to celebrate Mass in the vernacular in a spirit of wonder and awe, but it is also all too easy for the Mass to sound like a news broadcast or a chatty meeting. We need to guard against this and to seek to reverse this trend where we have any chance or influence.

The readings hammer the nail on everyone! Malachi specifically criticizes the priests. If you do not find it in your hearts to glorify my name, says the Lord of hosts, I will send the curse on you and curse your very blessing. You have strayed from the way. They have become lax in their observance of the covenant and their teaching, they encourage the people to do the same. The same idea is being put forward in today’s gospel by Christ. They have lost the plot. They spend their time trying to outdo one another in the width and length of their phylacteries and tassels, while at the same time laying impossibly detailed legal requirements on God’s people.

In this vein, Saint Paul shines out as an example of self-giving in the service of the gospel, though he is not afraid to point this out! We…had come to love you so much that we were eager to hand over to you not only the Good News but our whole lives as well. Saint Paul worked tirelessly in the service of the Church, his whole life filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, his whole being orientated towards God ever since his conversion on the way to Damascus. His energy and determination were nourished and sustained by his fear of the Lord, and by his constant spirit of enthusiasm in God’s presence and among the people. As Saint Paul reflected on the deeds of God revealed in the Old Testament, his vocation, the expansion of the Church during the first-century missionary era, and the sacramental presence of Our Lord in Baptism and the Eucharist, he constantly renewed his sense of devotion and fear of the Lord. Rather than become disappointing clergy, the Lord admonishes his apostles that they are not to center their lives on titles, badges of honor, or social status like the Scribes and the Pharisees. Anyone who humbles himself will be exalted; they are to come to glory through the exercise of humility. But the warning is equally applicable to everyone. We could so easily become puffed up or even snobbish about our religion, thinking of ourselves much better than other people. Instead, we are called to act in humility and selfless service.

Be that as it may, the reality is that we are spiritual beings. The gifts of the Spirit have been given to us and will enable us to live a sincere spiritual life if we dispose ourselves to God’s will. We can overlay them with layers of human activities, attitudes, and sin, but deep down inside we are filled with wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. Like Saint Paul, let us all reflect on the wonders God has done for us, the richness of the gifts we have received from him, and the generosity he has shown in redeeming us in Christ. If our words and actions show that we are filled with the spirit of wonder and awe in God’s presence, then our lives will draw others to the divine mystery. Let us go back to the source of our existence, God Himself for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Fr Joseph Osho