33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
16th November 2025
Lectionary Readings: Mal 3:19-20a; Ps. 98:5-9; 2 Thess 3:7-12; Luke 215-19
Theme: “Our God comes to rule the earth”
When the Lectionary for the Sunday Liturgy was being planned, it was decided to have a similar theme in the first and Gospel readings. The second reading might be very different but being Scripture, some further insight into the theme could be gained. The Responsorial Psalm would sum up the message.
I am going to explore this in this Sunday’s liturgy. Scenes of terror and visions of hope alternate in this great discourse as found in our reading from Luke. If we are to understand its tone and vocabulary, we must put ourselves in the atmosphere created by various terrifying and magnificent pages of the Old Testament. On the eve of the catastrophe that destroyed both Jerusalem, for the first time, and the state of Israel in 587 B.C., some prophets had a presentiment of the spiritual ruin of the people and had warned them, with harsh invectives, of future punishments. Later on, people began to ask about the ultimate destiny of the world and humanity; this created a restlessness that was eschatological, that is, concerned with the ultimate end, the last times. In the “apocalypses” or “revelations,” some authors imagined awe-inspiring scenes of wars, disasters, and judgment, which would usher in the coming of God and the salvation of the people. These accounts, which are to be read in accordance with their particular literary genre, always remain bewildering (cf. Mark 13:1-27; Matthew 24:3-31).
The reading from Malachi seems like a response to the Gospel discourse. The mysterious messenger of whom this verse speaks was probably a figure familiar to those who, at this period, attempted to imagine the final times: according to a passage added later (vv. 23-24), the reference was to Elijah, whose return was expected among the Jews. Jesus will apply the text to John the Baptist (cf. Mt 11:10; Mk 1:1; Lk 1:17). The messenger of the covenant is God himself; in Mt 11:10, it is Christ.
In putting work at the service of the community, Paul (in our second reading) places it under the sign of love for God, for one’s brothers and sisters, and for the Church. To eat one’s own bread constitutes the primary dignity of a person (v. 10). By demanding exemplary conduct from Christians, Paul remains in line with Jesus and the primitive Church (see Mt 18:15-18; 1 Cor 5:1-13).
In our Psalm the whole of Creation welcomes the LORD, the King, who will come to rule everyone impartially. Jesus announced that the long-awaited coming of the LORD to rule the earth, had begun in his ministry (cf. Mk 1:15: “The Kingdom of God is close at hand”).
Themes of destruction, exile and confusion echo through our readings. As we face the end of the year of our liturgical cycle, we look towards Christ our King who will speak through us in witnessing to him and will protect us so that after this our exile we shall reign with our Trinitarian God.
For Reflection and Discuss: 1. Nicholas King (2004) encourages us, the readers, to reflect upon hearing what Christendom may expect in the shape of betrayal and death and hatred, that in the Church’s existence there has not been a century, when this has not been the case. We know of people being persecuted now. What is my calling in this reality?
Bibliography: King, Nicholas: The New Testament (Great Britain:2004); www.biblegateway.com – notes taken from New Catholic Bible (NCB)
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Bernadette Teresa Chellew, KZN, South Africa, Bat Kol Alumna 2008
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