NOTES for Mal 1:1-14
There are two versions of a Russian saying: “Here you are, poor wretch (that is, beggar): take what is no use to us,” and “Here You are, God...” Both versions speak of the same thing: the widespread reluctance of seemingly devout people to sacrifice anything truly valuable to God, for alms given to a beggar are also a gift to God. The Bible bears witness that this tradition of “piety” has existed for many centuries.
Yet the genuineness of faith is tested not only by the steadfastness of martyrs, but much more often by the little things of everyday life. Our spontaneous reaction to them reveals our true condition more reliably than our response to momentous events, for which many people try to prepare well in advance, long before they draw near. But, as another saying puts it, it is not the sea that drowns us, but a puddle...