Tuesday of the
Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
(Revelation 14:14-19; Psalm 96; Luke 21:5-11)
Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias” relates how the
statue of an ancient Egyptian king was found in the middle of a desert. The statue’s shattered state belied the sign it
bore naming the figure “Ozymandias, King of Kings” and telling the on-looker to
despair in awe. The poem reminds the
reader that the greatest works of art as well as the greatest people are all
time-bound. Their fame hardly lasts for
centuries, much less for eternity.
In the gospel Jesus relates the same prophetic message. People gaze starry-eyed at the wonders of the
Temple , but
Jesus tells them not to be impressed.
The Temple ,
he says, will fall as it indeed did barely a generation after his death. Jesus also warns his disciples not to follow
unreservedly the great personages who may claim to be like him. These men and women will also pass away.
We Christians give full allegiance only to God. He is the source and goal of our lives. Yes, we cooperate with others in effort to
make of the earth a decent habitat for all humans. But we should not become too comfortable and
never complacent here. We seek a peaceful
earth so that we might come to know and love God who promises us heaven as our
true home.
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