Malachi 3: 2
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand firm when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire, like fullers' lye.
I read this verse from the first reading from today's mass and skimmed past the second part thinking, ok, I get it. And then I asked myself. Do you really get it? What does he mean by "refiner's fire". I did some research and actually learned something. Go figure!
I read about the process of refining silver. As you can imagine, it's done with fire. The silversmith puts the silver in the hottest part of the fire to burn away all the impurities. But did you know this - verse 3 says, "He will sit refining and purifying silver…" - a refiner will actually sit and wait, watching the silver while it's in the fire. Not only does he not walk away during the process, he's not scrolling through his Facebook or Instagram feed. He keeps his attention on the silver. If it is left for too long it will be destroyed. He is careful. Aware. Watchful.
So what is he waiting for? If leaving it for too long will destroy it, what is the right time to remove it from the fire? When is it finished? The process is complete when the silversmith sees his image in the silver.
We all find ourselves in the fire at different times in our lives. Your teenage child rebels. That coworker who irks you gets a promotion and ends up being your supervisor. You get that dreaded phone call from the doctor. Don't miss out on the opportunity to grow as you walk through these fires. God is not just present, He is attentive.
