Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Today's readings are as follows: Malachi 3: 19-20a, II Thessalonians 3, 7-12; and Luke 20, 27-38. Since most versions of the Bible are copyrighted, I'm just going to record my musings on each reading. Some of you may have noticed that I 've used two different ways of numbering the verses in the list. For Malachi, I used the version of number I grew up with, Book Chapter: Verse. For the others, I used the version Catholics use, Book Chapter, Verse.

Malachi 3, 19-20a. One of my favorite Old Testament books. In the version of the Children's Bible I had a long time ago, Malachi was pictured as a very kindly, Jewish scribe, with grey beard and hair. It's also one of the most easy to find minor prophet books. Find the beginning of the New Testament and turn back one book in the old testament, neato! Anyway, from this reading, I get that God will burn up the proud and haughty of the world, but those who fear and respect God will experience that time as the rays of the sun after a rain.

II Thessalonians 3, 7-12. We all get frustrated when our coworkers just gossip and do no work, but leave the work for us to do. The church in Thessalonia is being told that everyone needs to do work, not gossip, and eat their own food. Seems like good common sense, wonder why this church needed to hear that?

Luke 20, 27-38.This is the story of the seven brothers who all die childless and the widow each of them married. In this passage Jesus was asked of what would happen in the resurrection by folks who don't believe in the resurrection. This seems like a soap opera, where one character gets another talking to profit a third. Anyways, Moses had given the law regarding marrying to continue the lineage of the males. But, Jesus is giving the hope of the resurrection where we will have bodies, but will not marry.

Anyways, those are just my musings on these verses. The links take you to the books and chapters indicated in the USCCB's website, the only online site for the New American Bible. This is the Bible approved for use in the Church of the United States of America.