Sun of Justice
November 16, 2025
Today’s first reading from the book of Malachi lays out both a threat and a promise.
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 dark passage we hear from the 21st chapter of Luke’s usually comforting gospel sketches out an even more apocalyptic hellscape of wars and rumors of war, of cosmic disasters and political and religious betrayals and persecutions. We’re warned that we will need to give testimony that will not be received by the proud evildoers. Only by perseverance, Jesus tells us through Luke’s words, will we secure out lives, and live secure.
Apocalypse is, and always has been, just one short step distant from us as members of the human race. Whether from warfare, ancient or modern plagues, or the threat of nuclear annihilation, the end of all that is bright and beautiful seems ever to be in question. Some, like the ancient Desert Fathers, fled from the evil City of Man. Others climb the mountaintops to await a Rapturous End. And most of us plod along, with fingers crossed, hoping against hope that our lives will be spared for another little while, that we will experience some love, some meaning, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
We hope against hope that the dark forces of cynicism, violence and hatred will not triumph over good will and mercy, and we try to dig deep and find the strength and courage to work in our little corner of creation towards a harvest of righteousness under the light of the sun of justice. We pray for strength to do what we can, and courage enough never to give up hope.
Trials abound; misunderstandings and misrepresentations are everywhere; threats are real. Yet even more real is the promise that we will not be disappointed in our hope in the One who lived with us and died for us, who rose to life again promising us life.
In these cold dark days, we pray for the light and warmth of the sun of justice to flood again into our dark and desperate world, to strengthen the sick and sorrowing, to enlighten eyes grown dim and hearts grown cold.
Blessings,
