This last full day of Advent, we read from the very last
verses of the very last book of the Old Testament. The book of Malachi was the
last of the Old Testament prophets, and in our bibles, Malachi is the very last
book before the New Testament.
Like Isaiah and Jeremiah before him, Malachi foretold how a
Savior would come to redeem us and usher in the kingdom of God’s peace. In
today’s passage we read Malachi’s prophecy of the events that would occur just
prior to the arrival of the Messiah.
There would be a forerunner to prepare his way—a messenger
to point out to God’s people that the Messiah is coming soon. And in the
Gospel, we read about the birth of the forerunner, John, who would preach from
the banks of the Jordan, calling Israel to repent, to prepare their hearts for
the imminent arrival of the Savior who will restore and heal Israel, and bring
justice.
And then the very last thing Malachi says, the very last
verse of the Old Testament, is a prophecy about family: “He will turn the heart
of fathers to their sons, and the heart of sons to their fathers, Lest I come
and strike the land with utter destruction.”
The peace and restoration and justice the Messiah will bring
will involve the restoration of families. The Messiah will restore the
brokenness in the human family, and he will enable families to fulfill the
vocation established by the Creator. Malachi is also clear that there are
consequences when that order is rejected: “the land will be struck with utter
destruction.”
Pope St. John Paul echoed Malachi’s prophecy when he gave
his famous quote on the family. He said, “As the family goes, so goes the
nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” In other words, the
quality of familial relationships directly impacts the well-being and future of
nations and subsequently, the entire global community. Families are the
building blocks of society; they are where values, traditions, and beliefs are
instilled in individuals from their earliest days
Within the family children are to learn important virtues of
love, respect, forgiveness, and diligence, which are crucial for fostering a
peaceful society. While most, if not all of our cultural ills, can be traced to
the breakdown of the family—to the many distortions of the order designed by
the Creator. Family sins like abandonment, neglect, selfishness, violence,
godlessness have ripple effects in the lives of children and society.
During Christmas time many families will come together. It
is often clear when Christ is at the center of family life and when he is not. Whatever
our family life is like, chaotic and dysfunctional, or blessedly peaceful and
joy filled, we pray that we may do our part in contributing to the health and
salvation of family life by bearing the peace, goodness, and love of the one
born for us at Christmas, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
As we stand on the threshold of Christmas, awaiting the
coming of the Savior who restores all things, let us place our prayers before
the Father.
That Christmas may find us bearing the peace, goodness, and
love of Christ in our homes and relationships.
For society and its leaders, that respect for the family as
designed by the Creator may be renewed, and that public life may be guided by
policies and decisions that protect and strengthen family life.
For those from broken or wounded families That Christ, born
into the human family, may bring healing, consolation, and hope to all who
suffer from abandonment, neglect, violence, or division.
For the faithful departed, that they may share in the
eternal peace of God’s kingdom.
For the petitions in our heart and for…
Father of mercy, You sent Your Son to restore what sin has
broken and to reconcile the human family to Yourself. Hear these prayers and
prepare our hearts to receive Christ with faith and love. Through Christ our
Lord.
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