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Waiting for an Advent

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

November 11, 2016Archbishop Francesco FolloSunday Readings

BD - Photo by Britta Dörre

Roman rite

Mal 3, 19-20; Ps 98; 2 Thes 3, 7-12; Lk 21.5 -19

Ambrosian Rite

Is 51: 4-8; Ps 49; 2 Thes 2.1 to 14; Mt 24.1 – 31

First Sunday of Advent (Year A)

The coming of the Lord

1) To think about the end of the world to know the purpose of the world.

In this last Sunday of the liturgical year that marks our lives, the Church makes us meditate on the end of all things in order to begin the Whole Thing that is eternal Life.

The Word of God invites us to meditate on the ultimate realities to know and understand the signs of time with the eyes of faith on the world and our lives. It also invites us to prepare ourselves with confidence to the final meeting with the love of God. Those who have a loving confidence in God, are able to persevere and deserve life forever.

In today’s Gospel passage the Messiah teaches us to live with persevering faith and testimony, maturing in the awareness that “what we could not get because of our weakness, we can receive through our perseverance” (see St. Ephraim the Syrian (306-373), Diatessaron, IV century).

Speaking of wars, revolutions, famines, persecution and other sad events, Christ does not intend to frighten the disciples, but to teach that the difficulties of life, be they large or small, are opportunities to become stronger in faith and firm in hope.

On the one hand, a firm perseverance while waiting for Christ who is our End, is the mode in which the Expected One is welcomed and puts his dwelling among us. He is the Emmanuel, the God with us – always. On the other hand, the time that separates us from the end when we will be forever with the End, is the time of the testimony in which we experience the closeness of God and his love. He does not abandon his disciples, but is always nearby suggesting to them the words to confront their persecutors (see Lk 21:15).

Jesus encourages us to remain faithful to him until the end. Let’s persevere firmly in the waiting. Then, the meeting with Him will transform our difficulties, fears and anxieties, even those of death, in a glorious resurrection.

2) Two witnesses of perseverance and testimony.

Among the numerous saints, who are an example of perseverance and testimony of the true waiting, I choose two, St. John the Precursor, and the Virgin Mary, because they are the two pillars that stand next to the portal that Christ crossed to get into our history.

They both did not expect something, but Someone. They did not seek to discern more or less apocalyptic events in order to decide what to do in the immediate future. They expected nothing less than God. They were not waiting for better times, nor for a vague utopia or a hero, but they really were expecting God.

St. John the Baptist was just waiting for God, the God who was coming to bring order, to judge and to save. The Precursor was a man determined to the last. He did not had scruples calling the leaders of the people “brood of vipers” and accusing king Herod of all the crimes he had committed. He had no fear of prison and beheading. He persevered in being “just” a voice echoing in the wilderness and through everything, even through plugged ears. He was a true, persevering witness who pointed to the presence of the Lamb of God and fortified this indication with the gift of his own life. He shows how we should be witnesses, that is, martyrs. He is a model for all Christians (laity, religious man and women, priests and bishops) of how to be missionaries of Christ. No one should announce himself, nor replace the Word with little talk. We all have to be only the voice of the One who is growing among us, who is always greater than us.

Even the Virgin Mary was awaiting for God. She knew that the angel had told her: “The Holy One whom you carry in the womb shall be called the Son of God, Son of the Most High, and his kingdom will have no end” (Lk 1, 31 and following). However, she did not expect Somebody like the Unimaginable One awaited by the Baptist, one who would come forward with fire, the hatchet and the winnowing-fan. She was expecting a baby. But for a mother a child who is God is it not even more unimaginable? Is that child not coming to “cast fire on the earth”? And will not a sword pass her mother’s heart? However the Virgin Mary persevered in the waiting and welcomed in her and gave to humanity (to each of us) the One who is “meek and humble of heart” and that “cries out in the streets or quenches a smoldering wick “(Mt 11: , 29, 12, 19 ). Mary persevered even in the walk with Christ, from Nazareth, where she conceived through the Holy Spirit, to Jerusalem where Christ gave up his Spirit and recreated the world.

Our heavenly Mother is an eminent model of how we can and must be witnesses.

The final times and the tremendous signs that indicate them, terrify us not only because they are terrifying, but because they indicate that the end that is inexorably coming.

What to do? “Be converted, and do penance” says John the Baptist. “Bring Christ in you for the others,” says the Mother of God. We must move from “I” to “you”, to God. From the sterile and selfish being for themselves, to the fruitful and loving being for the others, following Christ, the Emmanuel with us and for all.

3) The example of the consecrated virgins in the world.

Now a brief reflection on how the consecrated virgins in the world can be for us an example on how to follow St. John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary.

At the school of the Baptist these consecrated women learn not to speak of Christ, but to indicate him by daily putting in practice the phrase: “It is necessary that I must decrease so that He may grow.” The consecrated virgins show that the Precursor not only calls for a sober lifestyle, but also to an inner change, through which we receive the light of the One who is “the Greatest” and became small, “the Strongest “and became weak.

At the school of Mary they learn to live consecrated virginity as intensity of desire and fruitful life. Thanks to their consecration, the miracle of the virginal motherhood of the Mother of God happens again.

From the incarnation of God and the grace of Baptism flourishes that holy progeny of which, during the consecration of virgins according to the Roman Pontifical, the Church says: “Whilst maintaining the nuptial blessing that descends on marital status, there must be more noble souls who sacrifice the physical community of man and woman and tend to the mystery that marriage contains. Giving all their love to the mystery indicated by marriage, they are consecrated to the One who is husband and son of the eternal virginity. “

This is the great mystery of the Church: the union between divinity and humanity in the Virgin’s womb. For this reason the Church blesses the virgins in the consecration prayer with these words: “Bless the Maker of heaven and earth, who has deigned to choose you for communion with Mary, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Her life is just a prototype. “May the life of Mary from whom, as from a mirror, the beauty of chastity and the rule of all virtue are reflected, be the image of virginity” (Saint Ambrose De Virginibus, II, 2, 6, PL 16, 108) . If the Church wants to remain what it is, “Virgin is and Virgin must be” (Saint. Augustine, Sermon 1.8). It is necessary to have these “noble souls”, who in their own body mimic what happened in Mary and anticipate what the saved Church will receive in glory.

http://www.theworkofgod.org/Devotns/Euchrist/HolyMass/gospels.asp?key=95

Year C - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The days will come in which there shall not be left a stone upon a stone that shall not be thrown down.
Luke 21:5-19
5 And some saying of the temple, that it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said:
6 These things which you see, the days will come in which there shall not be left a stone upon a stone that shall not be thrown down.
7 And they asked him, saying: Master, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when they shall begin to come to pass?
8 Who said: Take heed you be not seduced; for many will come in my name, saying, I am he; and the time is at hand: go ye not therefore after them.
9 And when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified: these things must first come to pass; but the end is not yet presently.
10 Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11 And there shall be great earthquakes in divers places, and pestilences, and famines, and terrors from heaven; and there shall be great signs.
12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands upon you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for my name’s sake.
13 And it shall happen unto you for a testimony.
14 Lay it up therefore into your hearts, not to meditate before how you shall answer:
15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay.
16 And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren, and kinsmen and friends; and some of you they will put to death.
17 And you shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake.
18 But a hair of your head shall not perish.
19 In your patience you shall possess your souls.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
You are the temples of the spirit of God. The spirit gives you life and sustains you in your earthly journey. But it will come to pass when your soul will have to leave the body and you will be turned into dust. The temple of Jerusalem was admired for its beauty and riches, but it was turned into ruins as a witness of material vanity.

Nothing of this world is eternal, therefore beauty comes and beauty goes, what is strong today will be weak tomorrow; the beauty and the light of day must give way to the darkness of the night.

Generations have come and generations have gone, men have been on this earth for thousands of years, but the day will come when things as they are will be no more, the old will be replaced with the new, there will be a new heavens and a new earth.

And while you have your senses, cling to me and learn from my wisdom, have fear of God who has the power to give life and to take it away. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Life is full of struggles; therefore unless you work hard you will not obtain what you want. I am inviting you to open your hearts to the Kingdom of Heaven for your own good, but I must warn you that if you take the easy road you will not succeed. I offer you hope in your faith and guarantee the reward of your efforts, but you must persevere to overcome all your obstacles.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Archdiocese of Washington

Our Journey Through a Passing World – A Homily for the 33rd Sunday of the Year

Msgr. Charles Pope • November 12, 2016 •

During the month of November, the Church has us ponder the Four Last Things: death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. As the golden gown of autumn gives way to the lifeless look of winter, we are encouraged to see that our lives are on a trajectory that leads to autumn and then to the winter of death. But those who have faith know that this passage to death ultimately leads to glory. Scripture says, And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:17).

In today’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus gives us a kind of road map of life and calls us to be sober about the passing and perilous nature of this world.

There is an historical context in which our Lord speaks. There were political rumblings in Israel in the early 30s AD that would eventually lead to war. Hatred of the Romans was growing among the Jews. The Zealot party and other factions were gaining power. In today’s Gospel, Jesus prophesies that war will come and lead to Jerusalem’s ultimate destruction; everything that the people know will pass away. By the summer of 66 AD, a three-and-a-half-year war was underway that resulted in the complete destruction of Jerusalem and the death of 1.2 million Jews. Josephus recorded the war in great detail in his work The Jewish War.

That is what this text meant historically. But we also need to understand what it means for us today. So let’s look at the text from that perspective. Today’s Gospel can be seen in three major sections.

I. Portrait of Passing Things – While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” Notice how they admire the temple and its beauty. But the Lord reminds them that although it is glorious now, it will all be destroyed. We, too, must understand that whatever glory we see or experience in this world will not last; in the end it will all pass away.

The Temple is a symbol of passing things. Just as it was once in splendor and now is gone, so everything we see today will pass. This is a sober truth that we must come to accept, difficult though it may be. Other Scriptures also remind us of this truth: The world as we know it is passing away (1 Cor 7:29). And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:17). This world is passing and we, too, will pass from it one day.

Note, however, that for them as well as for us, although one world ends, another begins. The Old Testament, Old Covenant, and ritual order of the Temple was ending, but the New Testament age of the Church was beginning. It was already breaking forth even as the old was coming to an end.

And so we should not lament the end of this world or even our own death. A newer, greater world—that of Heaven—awaits those who are faithful. In fact, through the liturgy and the sacraments, that new world is already breaking forth for those who partake of it.

II. Points of Passage to Promised Things – Having been informed that all things will pass, the disciples ask for signs that will precede the coming end. We can learn from what Jesus teaches them and apply it to our own lives today.

Jesus warns them of four perils on the passage to the promised land of the New Testament age of the Church. We, too, will experience dangers in our journey to the promised land of Heaven.

A. False Messiahs – “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!” If you want Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life, then you’ve got to get rid of false messiahs.

Too many people give greater authority in their life to people and worldly things than they do to Jesus Christ and His teachings. We submit our lives to all sorts of fads, fashions, philosophies, and people in hopes that we will be happy.

Perhaps it is someone in power whom we admire, or someone in the media whom we allow to influence us inordinately. Perhaps it is political positions that we allow to trump the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church. Perhaps it is just our personal convictions or ideas that we allow to overrule God’s teachings.

A false messiah is anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ telling you how to organize your life. Before Christ can reign unambiguously in your life, false powers and influences have to go.

Too many people look only to science, popular culture, economics, medicine, education, politics, and the like for guidance; they have been deceived.

It is not that we can’t use these things at all, but they are not a replacement for the Messiah. None of these things or people died for you. Only Jesus did that.

The power to save you is not in the statehouse, the courthouse, or the White House—it is in the saving blood, of the Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ.

B. Fierce Militarism – “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” A war was looming for those ancient people.

We, too, are in a war, a battle. Before Christ can reign unambiguously within you, the false powers in you must be defeated. But they will not go without a fight. The world, the flesh, and the devil can be expected to wage a fierce battle in order to keep their power.

Are you in a battle? You should be! Too many Christians have lost the sense of battle. Scripture says, Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7). Yet not only do too many people not resist him, they welcome him! Scripture also says, Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph 6:14).

An old hymn says, I’ve seen lightning flashing, and hear the thunder roll, I’ve felt sin-breakers dashing, which tried to conquer my soul; I’ve heard the voice of my savior, he bid me still to fight on. He promised never to leave me never to leave me alone.

On our way to the promised land of Heaven, we will encounter necessary battles: battles for what is right, battles against sin, battles for proper priorities.

C. Far-flung Marvels – “There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” In the time of Jesus and the era just preceding the war, there were in fact many earthquakes, droughts, and even heavenly signs. Historians of the time wrote of a comet and strange views of what we know today as the Aurora Borealis.

But what of us? What are the earthquakes of our life? Earthquakes involve the shaking of the ground, the shaking of that which seems most stable to us. What is the foundation of your life?

For most of us, the foundations of this world are things like money, politics, friends, family, and our own skills. All of these things are shaken in life and all of them will eventually fail. Our talents and abilities fade as we age. Friends and family members move away, fail us, and eventually die. Political power and worldly access ultimately fails. Haven’t we all experienced our world shaken, our soul famished, the plagues of sin infecting our world and ourselves?

Furthermore, haven’t stars grown cold, meteors fallen from the sky, the sun been hidden from our eyes from time to time? Has not our world at times been “turned upside down”? Maybe it was the sudden death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or a diagnosis of cancer.

This is why God must be our ultimate foundation, the star by which we navigate. If Jesus is not our foundation, then something else is. Without God as our foundation, we cannot last. The foundations of this world will all ultimately crumble. Christ must be our sure foundation.

D. Fearful Malice – “Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.” The early Christians were greatly persecuted. Most of us in the Christian West have had less to suffer, more difficult days may well be ahead as the secular West grows increasingly hostile to traditional Christianity.

Persecution, however, is an expected part of the Christian journey to the promised land of Heaven. Even if we are not “handed over,” many of us today are not taken seriously, are written off, or are called names even by our friends and family.

Christ tells us not to worry about such things because they are part of the normal Christian life. Even if some of us eventually lose our life for the faith, the Lord promises that not a hair of our head will be harmed. That is, our souls will be saved. The world can only harm our body; it cannot harm our soul unless we allow it to do so.

III. Prescription for the Passage to Promised Things – “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” We must always journey on and not lose faith or lose heart. There is glory waiting for us if we persevere.

Scripture says, But he who endures to the end will be saved (Mat 10:22). “For yet a little while, and the coming one shall come and shall not tarry; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and keep their souls (Heb 10:37).

An old spiritual says, “Hold on just a little while longer; everything’s gonna be all right.”

In this regard, the end of the Book of Daniel also seems pertinent: [Daniel asked the Archangel Gabriel], “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?” He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. … As for you, go your way till the end. You will die, yet at the end of the days you will rise to receive your reward” (Daniel 12:8-10, 13).

Yes, on our journey through this passing world it is necessary to persevere unto the end. If we do not, greater woes will come. If we do, there will be glory for us on the other side.

Sunday Gospel Reflections

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Malachi 3:19-20 II: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Gospel
Luke 21:5-19

⁵ And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said,
⁶ "As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."
⁷ And they asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?"
⁸ And he said, "Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them.
⁹ And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once."
¹⁰ Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;
¹¹ there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
¹² But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake.
¹³ This will be a time for you to bear testimony.
¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer;
¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.
¹⁶ You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death;
¹⁷ you will be hated by all for my name's sake.
¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish.
¹⁹ By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Interesting Details

(v.5) For the Hebrew people, the Temple of Jerusalem was the center of all their hope.
(v.6) When Luke wrote his Gospel (around A.D. 80 or 85), Jesus had already died, risen and ascended. The city and the Temple of Jerusalem were already destroyed. Luke wanted to present Jesus as a "prophet mighty in word and deed."
(v.7) "these things": the antecedent of these things changes from the destruction of the Temple to the destruction of Jerusalem and then to the destruction of the entire world.
(v.8) Disciples should not confuse the destruction of the Temple with the return of Jesus, "Son of Man". Fear and expectation will make people vulnerable to false messages and fake messiahs.
(vv.9-11) The signs that Jesus had mentioned such as wars, earthquake, plagues, famines, awesome sights, mighty signs can be observed in every age. They indicate that the end is indeed coming, but they are no help in determining the day or the hour.
(vv.12-15) Jesus' disciples are not to become frantic and anxious about the coming to bear witness. They must not worry about what to say in the time of trial; they will speak with a divine wisdom that no one can contradict. The role of the Holy Spirit is addressed.
(vv.16-18) Like Jesus, his followers should suffer these things to enter his glory. The promise that no harm will come even to one hair seems strange in the prediction of persecution. It is simply a graphic statement of the ultimate spiritual protection to all those who endure the persecution in the name of Jesus.

One Main Point

Persevering in a state of grace to the end in spite of difficulties and persecution leads to eternal salvation.

Reflections

Most of us are very scared when talking of the end of the world. Have you ever thought "the end is indeed ended when you turn you back to God?" Go back to your own world and reflect this question.
Compare the phrase "...they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name"
with the phrase "It will lead to your giving testimony."
Have you experienced these challenges? Ask yourself a question on how you can bear witness to God in your daily life.
Jesus was completely honest when revealing what we must expect if we choose to follow Him. However, He had promised that his followers never meet their tribulations alone. Remember our Saints or our martyrs, specifically our Vietnamese martyrs, to ascertain that God was always with them. When they were tortured and when they were awaiting death, they had experienced sweet times with God. A prison can be like a palace, a scaffold like a throne, the storms of life like summer weather, when God is with them. Meditate the joy of those who bear witness to God.

'Forgiveness of sins is betokened by freedom from the passions; he who has not yet been granted freedom from the passions has not yet received forgiveness.'

St. Thalassios the Libyan

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

I noticed something today. If we take the phrase “TRUMP TRIUMPHS”, you’ll notice that the word Trump is in “triumph”. Remove those letters, and you are left with “IHS” the monogram for Jesus Christ!

I think it’s a sign that his election is a miracle, and that we’ve been spared the disaster of another Clinton presidency.

~~TRUMP TR~~I~~UMP~~HS

IHS

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 21
5.	And some saying of the temple, that it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said:	Et quibusdam dicentibus de templo quod bonis lapidibus et donis ornatum esset, dixit :	και τινων λεγοντων περι του ιερου οτι λιθοις καλοις και αναθημασιν κεκοσμηται ειπεν
6.	These things which you see, the days will come in which there shall not be left a stone upon a stone that shall not be thrown down.	Hæc quæ videtis, venient dies in quibus non relinquetur lapis super lapidem, qui non destruatur.	ταυτα α θεωρειτε ελευσονται ημεραι εν αις ουκ αφεθησεται λιθος επι λιθω ος ου καταλυθησεται
7.	And they asked him, saying: Master, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when they shall begin to come to pass?	Interrogaverunt autem illum, dicentes : Præceptor, quando hæc erunt, et quod signum cum fieri incipient ?	επηρωτησαν δε αυτον λεγοντες διδασκαλε ποτε ουν ταυτα εσται και τι το σημειον οταν μελλη ταυτα γινεσθαι
8.	Who said: Take heed you be not seduced; for many will come in my name, saying, I am he; and the time is at hand: go ye not therefore after them.	Qui dixit : Videte ne seducamini : multi enim venient in nomine meo, dicentes quia ego sum : et tempus appropinquavit : nolite ergo ire post eos.	ο δε ειπεν βλεπετε μη πλανηθητε πολλοι γαρ ελευσονται επι τω ονοματι μου λεγοντες οτι εγω ειμι και ο καιρος ηγγικεν μη ουν πορευθητε οπισω αυτων
9.	And when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified: these things must first come to pass; but the end is not yet presently.	Cum autem audieritis prælia et seditiones, nolite terreri : oportet primum hæc fieri, sed nondum statim finis.	οταν δε ακουσητε πολεμους και ακαταστασιας μη πτοηθητε δει γαρ ταυτα γενεσθαι πρωτον αλλ ουκ ευθεως το τελος
10.	Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.	Tunc dicebat illis : Surget gens contra gentem, et regnum adversus regnum.	τοτε ελεγεν αυτοις εγερθησεται εθνος επι εθνος και βασιλεια επι βασιλειαν
11.	And there shall be great earthquakes in divers places, and pestilences, and famines, and terrors from heaven; and there shall be great signs.	Et terræmotus magni erunt per loca, et pestilentiæ, et fames, terroresque de cælo, et signa magna erunt.	σεισμοι τε μεγαλοι κατα τοπους και λιμοι και λοιμοι εσονται φοβητρα τε και σημεια απ ουρανου μεγαλα εσται
12.	But before all these things, they will lay their hands upon you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for my name's sake.	Sed ante hæc omnia injicient vobis manus suas, et persequentur tradentes in synagogas et custodias, trahentes ad reges et præsides propter nomen meum :	προ δε τουτων παντων επιβαλουσιν εφ υμας τας χειρας αυτων και διωξουσιν παραδιδοντες εις συναγωγας και φυλακας αγομενους επι βασιλεις και ηγεμονας ενεκεν του ονοματος μου
13.	And it shall happen unto you for a testimony.	continget autem vobis in testimonium.	αποβησεται δε υμιν εις μαρτυριον
14.	Lay it up therefore into your hearts, not to meditate before how you shall answer:	Ponite ergo in cordibus vestris non præmeditari quemadmodum respondeatis :	θεσθε ουν εις τας καρδιας υμων μη προμελεταν απολογηθηναι
15.	For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay.	ego enim dabo vobis os et sapientiam, cui non poterunt resistere et contradicere omnes adversarii vestri.	εγω γαρ δωσω υμιν στομα και σοφιαν η ου δυνησονται αντειπειν ουδε αντιστηναι παντες οι αντικειμενοι υμιν
16.	And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren, and kinsmen and friends; and some of you they will put to death.	Trademini autem a parentibus, et fratribus, et cognatis, et amicis, et morte afficient ex vobis :	παραδοθησεσθε δε και υπο γονεων και συγγενων και φιλων και αδελφων και θανατωσουσιν εξ υμων
17.	And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake.	et eritis odio omnibus propter nomen meum :	και εσεσθε μισουμενοι υπο παντων δια το ονομα μου
18.	But a hair of your head shall not perish.	et capillus de capite vestro non peribit.	και θριξ εκ της κεφαλης υμων ου μη αποληται
19.	In your patience you shall possess your souls.	In patientia vestra possidebitis animas vestras.	εν τη υπομονη υμων κτησασθε τας ψυχας υμων

5. And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,
6. As for these things which you behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
7. And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
8. And he said, Take heed that you be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draws near: go you not therefore after them.

EUSEB. How beautiful was every thing relating to the structure of the temple, history informs us, and there are yet preserved remains of it, enough to instruct us in what was once the character of the buildings. But our Lord proclaimed to those that were wondering at the building of the temple, that there should not be left in it one stone upon another. For it was meet that that place, because of the presumption of its worshippers, should suffer every kind of desolation.

BEDE; For it was ordained by the dispensation of God that the city itself and the temple should be overthrown, lest perhaps some one yet a child in the faith, while rapt in astonishment at the rites of the sacrifices, should be carried away by the mere sight of the various beauties.

AMBROSE; It was spoken then of the temple made with hands, that it should be overthrown. For there is nothing made with hands which age does not impair, or violence throw down, or fire burn. Yet there is also another temple, that is, the synagogue, whose ancient building falls to pieces as the Church rises. There is also a temple in every one, which falls when faith is lacking, and above all when any one falsely shields himself under the name of Christ, that so he may rebel against his inward inclinations.

CYRIL; Now His disciples did not at all perceive the force of His words, but supposed they were spoken of the end of the world. Therefore asked they Him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign, &c.

AMBROSE; Matthew adds a third question, that both the time of the destruction of the temple, and the sign of His coming, and the end of the world, might be inquired into by the disciples. But our Lord being asked when the destruction of the temple should be, and what the sign of His coming, instructs them as to the signs, but does not mind to inform them as to the time. It follows, Take heed that you be not deceived.

ATHAN. For since we have received, delivered to us by God, graces and doctrines which ere above man, (as, for example, the rule of a heavenly life, power against evil spirits, the adoption and the knowledge of the Father and the Word, the gift of the Holy Spirit,) our adversary the devil goes about seeking to steal from us the seed of the word which has been sown. But the Lord, shutting up in us His teaching as His own precious gift, warns us, lest we be deceived. And one very great gift He gives us, the word of God, that not only we be not led away by what appears, but even if there is ought lying concealed, by the grace of God we may discern it. For seeing that the devil is the hateful inventor of evil, what he himself is he conceals, but craftily assumes a name desirable to all; just as if a man wishing to get into his power some children not His own, should in the absence of the parents counterfeit their looks, and lead away the children who were longing for them. In every heresy then the devil says in disguise, "I am Christ, and with me there is truth." And so it follows, For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draws near.

CYRIL; For before His descent from heaven, there shall come some to whom we must not give place. For the Only-begotten Son of God, when He came to save the world, wished to be in secret, that He might bear the cross for us. But His second coming shall not be in secret, but terrible and open. For He shall descend in the glory of God the Father, with the Angels attending Him, to judge the world in righteousness. Therefore He concludes, Go you not therefore after them.

TIT BOST. Or perhaps He does not speak of false Christs coming before the end of the world, but of those who existed in the Apostles' time.

BEDE; For there were many leaders when the destruction of Jerusalem was at hand, who declared themselves to be Christ, and that the time of deliverance was drawing nigh. Many heresiarchs also in the Church have preached that the day of the Lord is at hand, whom the Apostles condemn. Many Antichrists also came in Christ's name, of whom the first was Simon Magus, who said, This man is the great power of God.

9. But when you shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass, but the end is not by and by.
10. Then said he to them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
11. And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

GREG. God denounces the woes that shall forerun the destruction of the world, that so they may the less disturb when they come, as having been foreknown. For darts strike the less which are foreseen. And so He says, But when you shall hear of wars and commotions, &c. Wars refer to the enemy, commotions to citizens. To show us then that we shall be troubled from within and without, He asserts that the one we suffer from the enemy, the other from our own brethren.

AMBROSE; But of the heavenly words none are greater witnesses than we, upon whom the ends of the world have come. What wars and what rumors of wars have we received!

GREG. But that the end will not immediately follow these evils which come first, it is added, These things must first come to pass; but the end is not yet, &c. For the last tribulation is preceded by many tribulations, because many evils must come first, that they may await that evil which has no end.

It follows, Then said he to them, Nation shall rise against nation, &c. For it must needs be that we should suffer some things from heaven, some from earth, some from the elements, and some from men. Here then are signified the confusions of men.

It follows, And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places. This relates to the wrath from above.

CHRYS. For an earthquake is at one time a sign of wrath, as when our Lord was crucified the earth shook; but at another time it is a token of God's providence, as when the Apostles were praying, the place was moved where they were assembled. It follows, and pestilence.

GREG. Look at the vicissitudes of bodies. And famine. Observe the barrenness of the ground. And fearful sights and great signs there shall be from heaven. Behold the variableness of the climate, which must be ascribed to those storms which by no means regard the order of the seasons. For the things which come in fixed order are not signs. For every thing that we receive for the use of life we pervert to the service of sin, but all those things which we have bent to a wicked use, are turned to the instruments of our punishment.

AMBROSE; The ruin of the world then is preceded by certain of the world's calamities, such as famine, pestilence, and persecution.

THEOPHYL. Now some have wished to place the fulfillment of these things not only at the future consummation of all things, but at the time also of the taking of Jerusalem. For when the Author of peace was killed, then justly arose among the Jews wars and sedition. But from wars proceed pestilence and famine, the former indeed produced by the air infected with dead bodies, the latter through the lands remaining uncultivated. Josephus also relates the most intolerable distresses to have occurred from famine; and at the time of Claudius Caesar there was a severe famine, as we read in the Acts, and many terrible events happened, A forboding, as Josephus says, the destruction of Jerusalem.

CHRYS. But He says, that the end of the city shall not come immediately, that is, the taking of Jerusalem, but there shall be many battles first.

BEDE; The Apostles are also exhorted not to be alarmed by these forerunners, nor to desert Jerusalem and Judea. But the kingdom against kingdom, and the pestilence of those whose word creeps as a cancer, and the famine of hearing the word of God, and the shaking of the whole earth, and the separation from the true faith, may be explained also in the heretics, who contending one with another bring victory to the Church.

AMBROSE; There are also other wars which the Christian wages, the struggles of different lusts, and the conflicts of the will; and domestic foes are far more dangerous than all foreign. 12. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
13. And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
14. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what you shall answer:
15. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16. And you shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17. And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18. But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
19. In your patience you will possess your souls.

GREG. Because the things which have been prophesied of arise not from the injustice of the inflictor of them, but from the deserts of the world which suffers them, the deeds of wicked men are foretold; as it is said, But before all these things, they shall lay their hands upon you: as if He says First the hearts of men, afterwards the elements, shall be disturbed, that when the order of things is thrown into confusion, it may be plain from what retribution it arises. For although the end of the world depends upon its own appointed course, yet finding some more corrupt than others who shall rightly be overwhelmed in its fall, our Lord makes them known.

CYRIL; Or He says this, because before that Jerusalem should be taken by the Romans, the disciples, having suffered persecution from the Jews, were imprisoned and brought before rulers; Paul was sent to Rome to Caesar, and stood before Festus and Agrippa.

It follows, And it shall turn to you for a testimony. In the Greek it is, for the glory of martyrdom.

GREG. Or, for a testimony, that is, against those who by persecuting you bring death upon themselves, or living do not imitate you, or themselves becoming hardened perish without excuse from whom the elect take example that they may live. But as hearing so many terrible things the hearts of men may be troubled He therefore adds for their consolation, Settle it therefore in your hearts, &c.

THEOPHYL. For because they were foolish and inexperienced, the Lord tells them this, that they might not be confounded when about to give account to the wise. And He adds the cause, For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist. As if He said, you shall forthwith receive of me eloquence and wisdom, so that all your adversaries, were they gathered together in one, shall not be able to resist you, neither in wisdom, that is, the power of the understanding, nor in eloquence, that is, excellence of speech, for many men have often wisdom in their mind, but being easily provoked to their great disturbance, mar the whole when their time of speaking comes. But not such were the Apostles, for in both these gifts they were highly favored.

GREG. As if the Lord said to His disciples, "Be not afraid, go forward to the battle, it is I that fight; you utter the words, I am He that speaks."

AMBROSE; Now in one place Christ speaks in His disciples, as here; in another, the Father; in another the Spirit of the Father speaks. These do not differ but agree together. In that one speaks, three speak, for the voice of the Trinity is one.

THEOPHYL. Having in what has gone before dispelled the fear of inexperience, He goes on to warn them of another very certain event, which might agitate their minds, lest falling suddenly upon them, it should dismay them; for it follows, And you shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

GREG We are the more galled by the persecutions we suffer from those of whose dispositions we made sure, because together with the bodily pain, we are tormented by the bitter pangs of lost affection.

GREG. NYSS. But let us consider the state of things at that time. While all men were suspected, kinsfolk were divided against one another, each differing from the other in religion; the gentile son stood up the betrayer of his believing parents, and of his believing son the unbelieving father became the determined accuser; no age was spared in the persecution of the faith; women were unprotected even by the natural weakness of their sex.

THEOPHYL. To all this He adds the hatred which they shall met with from men.

GREG. But because of the hard things foretold concerning the affliction of death, there immediately follows a consolation, concerning the joy of the resurrection, when it is said, But there shall not an hair of your head perish. As though He said to the martyrs Why fear you for the perishing of that which when cut, pains when that can not perish in you, which when cut gives no pain?

BEDE; Or else, There shall not perish a hair of the head of our Lord's Apostles, because not only the noble deeds and words of the Saints, but e en the slightest thought shall meet with its deserving reward.

GREG. He who preserves patience in adversity, is thereby rendered proof against all affliction, and so by conquering himself, he gains the government of himself; as it follows, In your patience shall you possess your souls. For what is it to possess your souls, but to live perfectly in all things, and sitting it upon the citadel of virtue to hold in subjection every motion of the mind?

GREG. By patience then we possess our souls, because when we are said to govern; ourselves, we begin to possess you very thing which we are. But for this reason, the possession of the soul is laid in the virtue of patience, because patience is the root and guardian which are inflicted by others, and also to have no feeling of indignation against him who inflicts them.

Catena Aurea Luke 21

The sack of Jerusalem (A.D. 70)
from the inside wall of the Arch of Titus, Rome

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin
Memorial
November 13th
[In the diocese of the United States]

(1850-1917) Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini was born in Lombardy, Italy, one of thirteen children. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart to care for poor children in schools and hospitals. At the petition of Pope Leo XIII, she came to the United States in 1889 to work among Italian immigrants. St. Frances Cabrini was the first American citizen to be canonized. She is also the Patroness of Immigrants.

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
God our Father,
who called Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini from Italy
to serve the immigrants of America,
by her example,
teach us to have concern for the stranger,
the sick, and all those in need,
and by her prayers help us to see Christ
in all the men and women we meet.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

Readings are selected from the Common of Virgins.

A Missionary for our Time: Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, Virgin, Foundress
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini-Virgin, Foundress 1850-1917
Frances Xavier Cabrini, Saint

Information: St. Francis Xavier Cabrini

Feast Day: November 13

Born: July 15, 1850, Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy

Died: December 22, 1917, Chicago

Canonized: July 7, 1946 by Pope Pius XII

Major Shrine: Chapel of Mother Cabrini High School, New York City

Patron of: immigrants, hospital administrators

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

Feast Day: November 13
Born: 1850 :: Died: 1917

Frances was born at Lombardy in Italy. She was one of thirteen children and was raised on a farm. As a child, she dreamed about being a missionary to China. She sailed paper boats down a stream to play her "pretend game."

The paper boats were ships taking missionaries to China. And she began giving up candy because in China, she probably wouldn't be able to have any.

But when she grew up, Frances was not accepted into the two convents that she asked to join. Her health was not too good, so she taught at girl's school for six years.

Then a priest asked her to help out in a small home for orphans. Things were very hard for Frances because of the lady who ran the house. Yet Frances stuck to the work, and some other generous women joined her. Together they took vows.

At last the bishop told Frances to begin her own congregation of missionary nuns, which Frances did without hesitation. This congregation is called the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

Soon it began to grow, first in Italy and then in many other countries. Frances, whom everyone called Mother Cabrini, had always had her heart set on going to China. But it seemed that God wanted her to come to America.

When Pope Leo XIII told her, "Go west, not east," the matter was settled. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini sailed for the United States and became an American citizen. She helped large numbers of Italian immigrants and was like their real mother and friend.

Mother Cabrini and her sisters found things very difficult in the beginning. The archbishop of New York even suggested that they go back to Italy. But Mother Cabrini answered, "Your excellency, the pope sent me here and here I must stay."

The archbishop admired her pioneer spirit, and so she and her sisters were allowed to begin their great work for God. Schools, hospitals, and homes for children were opened up in different states.

As the years passed, Mother Cabrini made many trips to spread her congregation and its works. She founded 67 institutions, and there were always difficulties, but she put all her trust in the Sacred Heart. "It is he who is doing everything, not us," she would say.

Mother Cabrini died in Chicago on December 23, 1917.

Sunday

November 13, 2016

The Doors of Our Lives

“Jesus keeps knocking on our doors, the doors of our lives. He doesn’t do this by magic, with special effects, with flashing lights and fireworks. Jesus keeps knocking on our door in the faces of our brothers and sisters, in the faces of our neighbors, in the faces of those at our side.” – Pope Francis

Year of Mercy Calendar Quote: Closing of the Holy Doors at the Basilicas of Rome and in the Dioceses of the Year

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Sunday, November 13

Liturgical Color: White

Today the Church honors St.
Frances Xavier Cabrini. She was
the foundress of the Missionary
Sisters of the Sacred Heart, arriving
in the United States in 1889, to work
with immigrants.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: November 13th

Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

November 13, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God, the constant gladness of being devoted to you, for it is full and lasting happiness to serve with constancy the author of all that is good. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Old Calendar: Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

"Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, plagues, and famines in various places — and in the sky fearful omens and great signs. But before any of this, they will manhandle and persecute you, summoning you to synagogues and prisons, bringing you to trial before kings and governors, all because of my name. You will be brought to give witness on account of it. I bid you resolve not to worry about your defense beforehand, for I will give you words and a wisdom which none of your adversaries can take exception to or contradict. You will be delivered up even by your parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. All will hate you because of me, yet not a hair of your head will be harmed. By patient endurance, you will save your lives."

The feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, which is ordinarily celebrated today, is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Prophecy of Malachi 3:19-20 and concerns the day of retribution, of judgment when the Lord will punish the wicked and reward His faithful ones.

The second reading is from the second letter of Paul to the Thessalonians 3:7-12, in which he addresses those few in the community who were unwilling to earn their daily bread and were abusing the charity of their fellow Christians.

The Gospel is from St. Luke, 21:5-19. The reason why these verses of St. Luke's gospel was chosen for today's Mass is that the Church wants us all to do a bit of spiritual stock-taking this morning. As next Sunday will be the special feast day of the Kingship of Christ, today's Mass is really the last of our liturgical year. Next Sunday, we begin our new liturgical year, the First Sunday of Advent. To help us to be honest with ourselves in our stock-taking we are reminded today that this world will come to an end one day. We do not know when or how, but that end will come. It will be followed immediately by the general judgment. Christ will come in power and glory to judge the whole human race. Each one will receive the sentence he merited while on earth. The just will enter with Him into eternal glory. The wicked will go to their place of suffering, sorrow and remorse.

Long before that day comes, each of us here present today will already have faced his or her own particular judgment. It is this judgment which will seal our eternal fate. It is on this judgment that we should try to concentrate this morning. It is to help and encourage us to do just this that the church brings the thought of the end of the world before our minds. The end of this world will come for each one of us when we draw our last breath. How will we stand in God's sight when that moment comes? An eternity of happiness or grief will depend on our spiritual state at that moment.

The thought of death is a frightening thought for most of us. We would rather put it far from our minds, but of all the other things that can possibly happen to us on this earth, death is the one and only certainty. It would be utter folly then to try to ignore it or forget it. It is not the moment or the circumstances or the fact itself of death that matters. The vast majority, even of those dying of a slow illness, do not know that they are on the point of death. What matters is the judgment which follows death. How will we fare in that?

Each one of us can put the following simple question to ourselves this very moment. How would I fare if I were called before the judgment seat of God today? The best of us would certainly prefer to be better prepared. There is so much good I have left undone, so many faults for which I have not atoned properly, so many uncharitable thoughts about my friends and neighbors in my mind, so many acts of charity I kept postponing, so many acts of thanksgiving and praise I have not made to my loving God.

What of those who have even more serious sins on their consciences? Over two hundred thousand people will leave this world between now and midnight. If we were called, and we have no guarantee that we will not be called today, could we dare to face our judgment in our present state? "Today if you hear God's voice harden not your heart" the scripture warns us. Today you have heard Him speak to you. He has reminded you that your end is coming, that you should put your spiritual accounts in order. This is an act of God's mercy. He does not need you, It is you who need Him. Your eternal future will depend on whether you listen to His call today, as tomorrow may be too late. You can put your accounts straight this very day. Why take a risk with your own eternal welfare?

The Christian who wants to die in the state of grace, that is, in the friendship of God (and can there be any real Christian who would not want to?) has but one way of making sure of this. He is to try to live always in God's friendship. The man who does this by living his Christian life daily need not fear death. It may be a sudden death, but it will never be an unprovided-for death.

— Excerpted from The Sunday Readings Cycle C, Fr. Kevin O' Sullivan, O.F.M.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

We did not act in a disorderly way among you. (2 Thessalonians 3:7)

The Thessalonian church was in a state of confusion and losing their peace and joy. Evidently, false teachers had come in claiming that the Second Coming had already happened. According to them, the persecutions they were experiencing were signs of the apocalyptic upheaval that everyone was expecting.

To head off this confusion, Paul urged the people to focus on living simply. He wanted them to be content with what they had, to work diligently, and to remain faithful to the Lord. Everything else would work itself out in God’s good timing.

Paul’s message of simplicity is important for us as well. We can easily become preoccupied with the busyness of life or get swept up in the idle speculation that is always part of the world. But this only distracts us and makes it harder for us to hear the Lord and feel his presence.

Mind you, a simple life doesn’t mean an inactive life. It’s a life of balance. Here are two strategies that can help you live more simply.

First, think about limiting the number of activities you do in any given day. This may mean evaluating the time you spend watching television, surfing the Internet, or shopping. It may mean setting aside one night a week for spiritual reading or serving in your parish or community. Look for ways you can simplify your life so that Jesus has more opportunities to show you his love.

Second, whether you are cooking a meal, working, or taking a walk, try to do it in a way that brings glory to the Lord. This approach can help keep your mind more peaceful and more focused on living in the Spirit.

Over and over again, the saints have told us that a simple life helps us to keep our minds on the Lord. It gives Jesus opportunities to fill our hearts with his joy, his love, and his peace. Try it. Examine the results. See what happens.

“Jesus, teach me to live simply, humbly, and peacefully.”

Malachi 3:19-20
Psalm 98:5-9
Luke 21:5-19

A Christian Pilgrim

BY YOUR ENDURANCE YOU WILL GAIN YOUR LIVES

(Biblical reflection on the 33^rd Ordinary Sunday [Year C] – November 13, 2016)

Gospel Reading: Luke 21:5-19

First Reading: Malachi 3:19-20; Psalms: Psalm 98:5-9; Second Reading: 2Thessalonians 3:7-12

Scripture Text:

And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, He said, “As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And they asked Him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?” And He said, “Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and, ‘The time is at hand1’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for My name’s sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony. Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put death; you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives. (Luke 21:5-19 RSV)

In Jesus’ day the temple of Jerusalem was an imposing and beautiful structure. Herod had just rebuilt it, from the years 19 to 9 B.C. It was twice the size of the former temple and more ornate. At this time it was still being furnished and decorated. No wonder, then, that as Jesus was in the temple preaching there were many people on hand, admiring the structure and talking about its beauty and imposing size. As a people they were extremely proud of it.

So they must have been shocked when Jesus predicted the destruction of this new temple, a destruction so great that “there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Luke 21:6). Immediately they wanted details. When? What signs would point to the end? We can compare ourselves to these people of Jesus’ time. Just as they were proud of their temple and its glory, so we are very proud of our achievements, our buildings, our technology.

The people ask Him when this destruction will happen and what sign will herald the event, but Jesus does not answer this until vv. 20-24. Instead, Jesus turns to warning His hearers against messianic pretenders who will come announcing that the time is at hand; but both they and their proclamations are false. Jesus counsels His hearers not to be terrified by war and tumult; they do not signal the end of time, but they are a mocking witness to the fact that the old age has to pass, and with much suffering and pain. Jesus goes on to widen the horizon of affliction to include universal strife in world war and natural disaster; famines and pestilences will take place, as well as unnamed terrors and enigmatic omens. In a comprehensive catalogue of disaster which borrows heavily from traditional prophetic apocalyptic literature, Jesus does not camouflage what appears to be nothing less than cosmic catastrophe against which human efforts at control must surely be hopelessly ineffective.

Before such universal calamities take place, the disciples will have to face particular difficulties in their own stories. The time discipleship will always be a time of trial, and Jesus uncovers a whole list of painful experiences which no disciple in the early Church will be able to ignore. They will be manhandled and persecuted; they will be accused of crimes against the state in the Gentile courts – all because they preach the Gospel. Jesus emphasizes that the time of persecution will be a time for testimony, and He assures the disciples that they need not prepare their speeches and gestures with the calculated care of the actor, for a greater power will take care of their words which will be so compelling that their accusers will be unable to gainsay them.

Since hate respects no ties, opposition to the disciples will know no bounds: even blood ties will not save them from betrayal by their own family and possible death. After all this talk of persecution, to assure the disciples that not a hair of their head will be harmed seems a somewhat misplaced sentiment; but it may be that Jesus is simply recalling His own paradox: that the disciples’ spiritual safety will never be in doubt because their enduring fidelity will gain them their lives – lives which will appear lost to the eyes of the world (Luke 21:19).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach me the passing nature of this world and its glory. Give me a hunger for the glory that is to come. You have assured me that I need not worry, because my life is completely in Your hands. Amen.