The Book of the Small Prophet
Malachi
Chapter
1
1. An oracle. The word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. 2. I have loved you, says the LORD. But you say, "How have you loved us?" Is not Esau Jacob's brother? says the LORD. Yet I have loved Jacob 3. but I have hated Esau; I have made his hill country a desolation and his heritage a desert for Jackals.
(Book of Small Prophets Malachi Chapter 1 verses 1 to 3)
Oh God my Father, I thank You for never stopping loving us. Your love is never ending. Even though we do not always experience Your love, due to the distance between us created by our sins Amen.
4. If Edom says, "We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins," the LORD of hosts says: They may build, but I will tear down, until they are called the wicked country, the people with whom the LORD is angry forever. 5. Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, "Great is the LORD beyond the borders of Israel!"
(Book of Small Prophets Malachi Chapter 1 verses 4 to 5)
Oh God my Father many times we make many plans and agendas which are not according to Your will and therefore You end up having to end up having to make the necessary changes on our behalf in order to fix where we interrupted Your plans Amen.
6. A son honors his father, and servants their master. If then I am a father, where is the honor due me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name.
(Book of Small Prophets Malachi Chapter 1 verse 6)
4. If Edom says, "We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins," the LORD of hosts says: They may build, but I will tear down, until they are called the wicked country, the people with whom the LORD is angry forever. 5. Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, "Great is the LORD beyond the borders of Israel!"
(Book of Small Prophets Malachi Chapter 1 verses 4 to 5)
Oh God my Father many times we make many plans and agendas which are not according to Your will and therefore You end up having to end up having to make the necessary changes on our behalf in order to fix where we interrupted Your plans Amen.
6. A son honors his father, and servants their master. If then I am a father, where is the honor due me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name.
(Book of Small Prophets Malachi Chapter 1 verse 6)
Oh God my Father I totally agree with You, for You are the Master Creator, God my Father, and all love honour and praise is to be proclaimed on to You Amen. Our weak spirits would like to do so my God and Father, but our sinful self is at war within and at times it makes life very difficult to endure. I pray oh God my Father for more power so that we can overcome the lures of our natural self, so that we can invest our energy in the spiritual self that You have given us Amen.
7. By offering polluted food on my altar on my altar. And you say, "How have we polluted it?" By thinking that the LORD'S table may be despised. 8. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor, will he be pleased with you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verses 7 to 8)
Oh God my Father as laity we may not pollute the altars, however, when the priest offers the sacrificial offering he is offering it for his own sins and for ours. Therefore if our behaviour during mass is not appropriate, if we do not show respect to You my God by the way we are dressed, and by the way we behave we are still polluting the sacrifice. If we do not go for confession and are dirty in Your presence, because there are issues that we have never confessed ,we are also violating our part of the sacrifice. As much as the head of State would be disappointed with a second class offering, so do You, my God and Father. Therefore I pray oh God my Father that we be prepared before appearing in Your presence Amen.
9. And now implore the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. The fault is yours. Will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verse 9)
Oh God my Father as much as it was the blame of the members of the priesthood we can as one universal priesthood admit that we have sinned and means all ranging from priests to laity, for we are all swimming in one ocean, all in our different life circumstances. Therefore nobody can accuse Priest of being corrupt or child abusers without first looking at ourselves and pasting an adequate label according to our many faults and shortcomings because in some way or another we are all sinners.
10. Oh, that someone among you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not kindle fire pn my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hands.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verse 10)
Oh God, my Father I pray that when we come before You, we come out of belief, love and commitment and not as a consequence of need or crisis. May our relationship be genuine and not fake based on selfish agendas that dictate to God what we want and never reciprocating thanksgiving and praise or worship. It is better for us not to come before You at all than to come to worship with a hidden agenda.
11. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering for my name is great among the nations says the LORD of hosts.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verse 11)
Oh God my Father indeed Your Name is greater and mightier than that of all famous people and ancient gods of the past. Furthermore, Your Name is worthy to be praised from the setting of the sun to its going down. May we never stop praising and proclaiming Your Name Amen. I invite you to join me in the following song and give worship to God our Father!
You are worthy of Praise
12. But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and the food for it may be despised.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verse 12)
Oh God my Father when the fact that Your presence in the holy Eucharist is denied or made subject to doubt by unbelievers and at times even believers, this is also a form of pollution. Like wise when we proclaim that we believe in You and then we do not place our trust in You, it is also showing unbelief. I pray oh God my Father that it would be better for those who do not believe in You to leave the Church and return when they start believing than staying in the Church and corrupt or pollute other's minds and souls by what they say or do.
13. "What a weariness this is, " you say and you sniff at me, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. 14. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name is reverenced among the nations.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verses 13 to 14)
Oh God my Father although You perform many works we still grumble and complain. It seems like me and You are in the same situation we can never get it right. Although our intentions may be well, others still complain abou tthe outcome. I Thank You my God and Father that You love me so much Amen. I pray that in time we become more alike Amen.
I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
Oh God my Father at times I also turn on You and beg for Your love and mercy. The world is so cruel and unjust that to live life without You does not make any sense at all. I pray that I never lose hope in You my God and Father, because if I do so my life will not be worth living Amen.
7. By offering polluted food on my altar on my altar. And you say, "How have we polluted it?" By thinking that the LORD'S table may be despised. 8. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor, will he be pleased with you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verses 7 to 8)
Oh God my Father as laity we may not pollute the altars, however, when the priest offers the sacrificial offering he is offering it for his own sins and for ours. Therefore if our behaviour during mass is not appropriate, if we do not show respect to You my God by the way we are dressed, and by the way we behave we are still polluting the sacrifice. If we do not go for confession and are dirty in Your presence, because there are issues that we have never confessed ,we are also violating our part of the sacrifice. As much as the head of State would be disappointed with a second class offering, so do You, my God and Father. Therefore I pray oh God my Father that we be prepared before appearing in Your presence Amen.
9. And now implore the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. The fault is yours. Will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verse 9)
Oh God my Father as much as it was the blame of the members of the priesthood we can as one universal priesthood admit that we have sinned and means all ranging from priests to laity, for we are all swimming in one ocean, all in our different life circumstances. Therefore nobody can accuse Priest of being corrupt or child abusers without first looking at ourselves and pasting an adequate label according to our many faults and shortcomings because in some way or another we are all sinners.
10. Oh, that someone among you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not kindle fire pn my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hands.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verse 10)
Oh God, my Father I pray that when we come before You, we come out of belief, love and commitment and not as a consequence of need or crisis. May our relationship be genuine and not fake based on selfish agendas that dictate to God what we want and never reciprocating thanksgiving and praise or worship. It is better for us not to come before You at all than to come to worship with a hidden agenda.
11. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering for my name is great among the nations says the LORD of hosts.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verse 11)
Oh God my Father indeed Your Name is greater and mightier than that of all famous people and ancient gods of the past. Furthermore, Your Name is worthy to be praised from the setting of the sun to its going down. May we never stop praising and proclaiming Your Name Amen. I invite you to join me in the following song and give worship to God our Father!
You are worthy of Praise
12. But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and the food for it may be despised.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verse 12)
Oh God my Father when the fact that Your presence in the holy Eucharist is denied or made subject to doubt by unbelievers and at times even believers, this is also a form of pollution. Like wise when we proclaim that we believe in You and then we do not place our trust in You, it is also showing unbelief. I pray oh God my Father that it would be better for those who do not believe in You to leave the Church and return when they start believing than staying in the Church and corrupt or pollute other's minds and souls by what they say or do.
13. "What a weariness this is, " you say and you sniff at me, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. 14. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name is reverenced among the nations.
(Book of Small Prophet Malachi Chapter 1 verses 13 to 14)
Oh God my Father although You perform many works we still grumble and complain. It seems like me and You are in the same situation we can never get it right. Although our intentions may be well, others still complain abou tthe outcome. I Thank You my God and Father that You love me so much Amen. I pray that in time we become more alike Amen.
I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
Oh God my Father at times I also turn on You and beg for Your love and mercy. The world is so cruel and unjust that to live life without You does not make any sense at all. I pray that I never lose hope in You my God and Father, because if I do so my life will not be worth living Amen.
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