Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 13, 2022
"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." -Malachi 3:19-20
Reflection
In the perfect synchronization of God’s timing, Malachi 3:20 resonates in the heart of many. In the wake of rising costs, inflation, civil unrest, and overall uncertainty, we take comfort in knowing that God hastens to perform His word (Jeremiah 1:12) and promises to “…hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). What a blessed hope of the Lord’s healing rays will arise as the sun of justice for those who revere His name. May we rise as the sun with hope in our Lord. May we stand strong with strength in our God and King, and walk in the promise of His grace toward us and mercy for our nation and the world. God keeps His promises. I remind myself through scripture and song that God is still in control. Yes, I see the obvious, but my glass is half-full, and my cup runneth over because God is so loving and compassionate, and He is my blessed hope. As a mom of three children, I’ve instilled this foundational pillar of God’s love and omnipotence in each of them. My personal prayer is that my children take this assurance out into their world to be a beacon of hope and that we are a light to all around us in difficult times.
Prayer
You are the author of justice, Lord.
We ask that You rain down justice in the form of convictions,
transformed mindsets and hearts, and continued reconciliation in our land.
Help us to look to You and Your Word
to remind ourselves of what justice should look like.
May we look at every circumstance through Your lens, Lord,
a lens of truth, love, grace, and mercy.
LaTisha Henderson
Associate Director of Membership
Port Tobacco, MD