1st Reading – Malachi 3:19-20a

Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,
when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,
and the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear my name, there will arise
the sun of justice with its healing rays.

The Book of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, was written in the post-exilic period, likely in the 5th century BC, when the people of Israel had returned from Babylon and rebuilt the Temple.

In this brief but penetrating prophecy, God speaks through Malachi to rekindle the people’s faith and remind them that their worship and daily lives must reflect genuine covenant fidelity.

(Note: This passage is Malachi 4:1-2a in all translations but the New American Bible.)

Lo, the day is coming,

Malachi announces the coming “day of the Lord” — a decisive moment when God will fulfill his promises and establish perfect justice. On that day, the balance of righteousness will be restored: good will be rewarded, and evil will be exposed and consumed.

Israel initially believed that this would be purely a time of vindication and rejoicing, but the prophets, including Malachi, corrected that view. They revealed that Israel itself would also have to face God’s judgment.

blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, 

The prophet uses the metaphor of a blazing fire to describe the consuming power of divine justice. Like dry stubble after the harvest, the proud and wicked will be utterly destroyed — nothing of them will remain, neither “root nor branch.”

This symbolizes the complete end of evil and the impossibility of new growth from what is corrupt.

says the LORD of hosts.

“LORD of hosts” is an ancient title for God that proclaims him as the supreme ruler over every power — first understood as the commander of Israel’s armies and later as the Lord of the heavenly hosts of angels. It expresses his absolute sovereignty over all creation, both earthly and divine.

Malachi uses this title frequently, invoking it more than twenty times to emphasize God’s universal authority and the seriousness of his coming judgment.

But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.

In contrast, those who revere the Lord will experience the day not as destruction but as renewal. The “sun of justice” rises with warmth and light, bringing healing and life to the righteous. The same divine fire that burns away sin purifies and restores those who belong to God.

This image will later be echoed in the New Testament’s canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:78), where the coming of Christ is described as the “dawn from on high” breaking upon a world in darkness.

“The Lord came in the evening to a world in decline, when the course of life was almost run; but when the Sun of justice came, he gave new life and began a new day for those who believed in him” (Origen, Homiliae in Exodum, 7,8).

2nd Reading – 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Brothers and sisters:
You know how one must imitate us. 
For we did not act in a disorderly way among you,
nor did we eat food received free from anyone. 
On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day
we worked, so as not to burden any of you. 
Not that we do not have the right. 
Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you,
so that you might imitate us. 
In fact, when we were with you,
we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work,
neither should that one eat.
We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a
disorderly way,
by not keeping busy but minding the business of others. 
Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly 
and to eat their own food.

In this passage from the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, Saint Paul offers practical instruction to a community learning how to live faithfully as they await the Lord’s return.

Brothers and sisters: You know how one must imitate us.

Paul offers his own example as a pattern for the Thessalonians to follow — not from pride, but from pastoral responsibility.

Christian teaching, he reminds them, is conveyed not only in words but also through the witness of life. His conduct among them has embodied the message he preaches. As they imitate him, they in turn become examples for others, showing that authentic faith is taught most powerfully through action.

“A teacher demonstrates great confidence if he uses his own good actions to reprove his disciples. And so Paul writes, ‘You know how one must imitate us.’ And he ought to be a teacher more of life than of the word. Let no one think that Paul says this because of a boastful heart. The necessity of the situation in Thessalonica drove him to speak in this way, with a view to the advantage of the entire community.” [Saint John Chrysostom (between 398-404 AD), Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians 5]

For we did not act in a disorderly way among you,

Paul points to three lessons from his conduct. First, he lived with discipline and integrity — his behavior was beyond reproach.

Paul’s word for disorderly is ataktōs, a military term for being out of rank. His concern is about behavior that disrupts community order and harmony.

nor did we eat food received free from anyone.

Second, he did not take advantage of the hospitality of others.

This is important because it was common for itinerant preachers like Paul to rely on the hospitality of those through whose villages and cities they passed.

On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. 

Third, Paul reminds them of his labor among them (likely his work as a tentmaker) so that his ministry would not become a financial burden.

He asserts his right to receive support (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:4–15) but renounces it out of love and to avoid any appearance of self-interest. He did not want to give anyone the impression that ministers of the gospel are a burden to the community, or that they had anything to gain beyond the spread of the gospel.

In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. 

Paul now applies this teaching to a practical problem: Evidently, some of them are unwilling to work, presumably because they believe the second coming is at hand. If the world as we know it is coming to an end, why bother working?

We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.

Paul has no patience with this attitude. Playing on words, he condemns those within the community who have acted as busybodies rather than being actually busy.

In the Catholic tradition, this passage has often been read as a warning against curiositas — a restlessness that leads one to meddle in others’ affairs rather than fulfilling one’s own duties — something Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas both critique as contrary to humility and charity.

Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food.

Paul exhorts these members to regain a spirit of diligence and personal responsibility. Christian life is not escapism or entitlement, but cooperation with God’s grace through steady, honest work.

For those who refuse to contribute, Paul prescribes firm correction: if they will not discipline themselves, the community must no longer enable their idleness. Charity, when misplaced, can foster disorder rather than love.

Discipleship is not passive waiting for Christ but active, responsible living — a faith expressed through integrity, diligence, and care for others.

Gospel – Luke 21:5-19

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here —
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” 
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them! 
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.” 
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

“Before all this happens, however,
they will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name. 
It will lead to your giving testimony. 
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. 
You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death. 
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

In today’s gospel reading, bystanders are in awe of the temple’s magnificence. Jesus uses the occasion to give a long discourse about the end of the world.

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,

This was the Second Temple, constructed after the Jews had returned from the Babylonian Exile and later magnificently renovated by King Herod. It was one of the most splendid structures of the ancient world — a source of immense national pride and religious identity for Israel.

he said, “All that you see here — the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

For Jesus to announce the Temple’s total destruction must have stunned his listeners. This sacred place was the very heart of Jewish life — the visible sign of God’s dwelling among his people.

This proclamation echoes Jesus’ earlier lament over Jerusalem (Luke 19:43-44), which foretold both the Temple’s fall in 70 AD and the passing away of all earthly securities.

Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”

Naturally, Jesus’ audience wants more information.

He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!

Jesus redirects their concern from prediction to preparation.

Rather than satisfying their curiosity, Jesus warns them against impostors. False messiahs and false certainties will arise — those claiming to know “the time.”

When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

Jesus describes cosmic and political turmoil — realities that evoke fear and chaos. Yet he cautions his disciples not to mistake them for the final act of history.

These upheavals are part of the fallen world’s convulsions, not signs of God’s absence but of his mysterious sovereignty at work.

“Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.

Before these things come to pass, something even more personal will transpire first. The followers of Jesus will face their own trials.

Persecution will come first — personal, painful, and unjust — yet it will serve a divine purpose.

It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.

Their suffering will become a witness. In the moment of trial, Jesus promises not abandonment but divine assistance — a Spirit-inspired wisdom (cf. Luke 12:12) that no opponent can overcome.

You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name,

The cost of discipleship can reach even into family ties. Jesus’ followers must expect betrayal and hatred for his sake.

Yet he frames even this within divine providence: persecution will not defeat God’s plan but advance it.

but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

Jesus’ assurance does not promise physical safety but resurrection hope: their fidelity in trial leads to eternal life.

Thus, Jesus calls his followers not to fear or calculation but to perseverance — steadfast faith amid tribulation. In endurance, the Church bears witness to the Lord who reigns even as the world trembles.

Connections and Themes

The Day of the Lord. Throughout Scripture, the Day of the Lord is portrayed as a moment when God will come in majesty and power to set all things right. It is a day of both judgment and vindication — when evil will be purged, justice restored, and the faithful healed by God’s righteousness. In order for this divine renewal to occur, the disordered world of sin must first be overturned. Hence, the prophets often describe the coming of the Lord in images of turmoil and upheaval.

In the first reading, Malachi speaks of a blazing fire that consumes all that opposes the will of God. The proud and evildoers are likened to stubble, easily burned away, while those who fear the Lord will experience the rising of the “sun of justice” with healing in its rays. In the Gospel, Jesus describes the same divine upheaval in greater detail: the collapse of the mighty Temple, the shaking of nations, and the trembling of the natural world. These images are not meant to satisfy human curiosity about the end times, but to express the truth that the world’s false securities must give way before God’s enduring reign.

We should remember that these descriptions are symbolic, not literal predictions. They reveal spiritual realities — that sin must be burned away before righteousness can flourish. To reduce them to worldly speculation is to lose their deeper meaning. The purpose of this teaching is not to help us identify who will be condemned, but to remind us that God’s justice will prevail even when evil seems to triumph.

For the Christian, belief in the Day of the Lord is not a cause for fear but a source of hope. It is a declaration of trust that, despite the turmoil of history, God’s righteousness will have the final word. The day of judgment, then, is also the day of vindication — when those who persevere in faith will see the dawn of God’s healing light.

Faithful readiness. True hope in God’s coming reign is not marked by passivity but by steadfast diligence. In our second reading, Saint Paul urges believers to live quietly and responsibly, warning them not to let anticipation of Christ’s return become an excuse for idleness or disorder. Jesus, likewise, cautions his disciples against being swept up in fear or speculation about the end times. Instead of yielding to panic or being misled by false prophets, they are called to endure faithfully and remain grounded in purpose. Both teachings remind us that Christian readiness is proven not through anxious waiting, but through the steady, responsible living that reflects trust in God’s timing.

The transience of the world and the permanence of God. The splendor of earthly things, no matter how enduring they appear, is fleeting beside the permanence of God’s truth. Jesus foretells the fall of the magnificent Temple — a symbol of worldly strength and glory — to show that faith must rest not on what can crumble, but on the eternal steadfastness of God. In Malachi’s vision, the “sun of justice” rises with healing in its light, embodying the divine righteousness that endures when all else fades.

Together, these readings proclaim that while human grandeur is temporary, those who cling to God’s justice and truth will share in a life that never perishes.