Lo, I will send you
Elijah, the prophet,
Before the day of the LORD comes,
the great and terrible day,
To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike
the land with doom.
Elijah, the prophet,
Before the day of the LORD comes,
the great and terrible day,
To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike
the land with doom.
There is irony in Malachi's prophecy. Elijah was the greatest of the Hebrew prophets, second only to Moses, and a terrifying figure. If any prophet describes the "Old Testament God" of fire and brimstone, wrath and vengeance, it is Elijah. But, Malachi says, Elijah's mission should be most pleasant! He will restore parents to children and children to parents.
As we consider the deplorable state of families in the United States, with innumerable orphans in foster homes, or being raised by grandparents and great-grandparents; as many children will never know their fathers except as anonymous donors to sperm banks; we cannot imagine the potential violence of enforced reunions. How many will refuse to recognize their children or parents? How many will cling to Orson Welles' bizarre meme that they were "born alone and will die alone?"
The mission of John the Baptist is to prepare the way for Jesus. And Jesus will restore all creation to its original, Edenic beauty; and that restoration will be only a step in the direction of endless perfecting and eternal perfection as heaven and earth mirror the infinite beauty of God.
As Julian of Norwich said, "All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of things will be well."
We know in our bones she is right, that we can never be completely satisfied with partial progress. Good enough might be good enough for today, but only for today. So long as there are children who should know, love, and honor their parents; so long as there are parents who should love, esteem, and be proud of their children, the prophet's work is unfinished.
Neither human beings nor God can be satisfied with a whitewash of grace that would cover over a rot within our tombs.
We have two days left to prepare for Christmas. It's not enough time. But there will be time for those who use it well.
Thank you Fr Ken for your daily homilies. They’re always thought provoking and I appreciate the time you put into sharing them. Happy a Merry Christmas as we celebrate God our Father’s love for all of us!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kevin, for reading my daily reflections. The readings of daily Mass keep me close to the Lord, and I enjoy sharing the experience with others. Blessings on you and your loved ones at Christmas.
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