The Byzantine Church keeps the liturgical memorials of the Old Testament prophets, even though the Latin Church has their names on Roman Martyrology, and perhaps on a different day. May the Holy Prophet Malachi intercede for us.

As we celebrate the great feast of Light, we remember the Holy Prophet Malachi. Malachi foresaw the coming of the Baptist, God’s messenger, “Now I am sending my messenger – he will prepare the way before me; and the lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple; the messenger of the covenant whom you desire – see, he is coming! says the Lord of hosts. (3:1)” The Baptist preached repentance as the way to prepare for the coming of the Lord. Jesus came to his temple, as Malachi predicted, to make it a house of prayer. Moreover, by his own death and resurrection Christ became the temple. Malachi also predicted that the sacrifice of our Lord undertook for our salvation would be offered in “all times and places.” “From the rising of the sun to its setting, my name is great among the nations; incense offerings are made to my name everywhere, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 1:11)”

We offer this sacrifice of praise in every Liturgy, as the celebrant “always and everywhere, we praise you, we bless you, we thank you, and we pray to you, our God.” We must continually turn to the Lord, hearing the message of John the Baptist, and perfecting our baptism through the Divine Liturgy.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras