33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Malachi 3:19-20; II Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19
Today in the Gospel, we find Jesus in Jerusalem. He has
completed his long journey from Galilee. In fact, he is delivering his final
public discourse. He highlights three themes that he has exposed throughout the
journey. Let us reflect on these themes, each of which deeply touches our
spiritual lives.
Jesus stands with the people within the confines of the
Temple. When some comment on the solidity of the building and others on the beauty
of its contents, Jesus warns against putting faith in created things as
ever-lasting. This is the first theme for our reflection. Jesus goes on to say
that the Temple, with its beautiful votive offerings, will soon be demolished.
Equally misguided is faith in men who claim to be anointed by God.
When we look around at the new suburbs, we see many large
houses. They resemble palaces, with multiple rooms for a scant number of people.
These homes are not bad in themselves. But when their residents live without
regard for those whose wages cannot cover rent, such homes become stumbling
blocks to a fervent spiritual life. The same applies to cruises, cars, or any
other luxury that holds our attention today. Again, created things are not necessarily
bad, but they can interfere with our doing God’s will.
In his discourse Jesus also predicts that his disciples will
endure persecutions. He says that before the catastrophes marking the end of
the world occur, they will be hated, betrayed, imprisoned, and even killed. The
persecution of disciples then is the second theme of the discourse. Early followers
of Jesus suffered massacres by Herod in Jerusalem, by Emperor Nero in Rome, and
many others throughout the centuries. Persecution of Christians continues today
in places like Nigeria, where tens of thousands have been killed just in the
past ten years.
Few of us will be killed for our faith in Christ, but that
does not mean we won’t face persecution. When Judge Amy Coney Barrett was
nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court, she was criticized by members of Congress
for being an “extreme Catholic.” The reason behind this accusation was that she
believes abortion is wrong. If you express your faith openly—by thanking God in
a restaurant or mentioning how Christ helps you— do not doubt that sooner or later,
you will be ridiculed. Even some family members may criticize you for being
faithful to the foundations of the faith.
Jesus does not fail to offer good news in the upcoming
tragedy. After warning of the difficulties ahead, he assures us of the benefits
of joining Him. His phrase, “... not a hair of your head will perish,” is hard
to understand, since many disciples have suffered martyrdom. But he likely means
that the Father, who has counted the hairs on His children’s heads (Lk 12:7),
will not allow those who suffer for Jesus to be lost. After this difficult
phrase, Jesus assures his faithful: “By your perseverance you will secure your
lives.” The life he has in mind is the one that lasts forever: eternal life.
This is the third theme of the discourse.
Our hope that our lives do not end with bodily death is
fundamental to Christian faith. The apostles preached Jesus risen from the
dead. St. Paul dared to write: “... if the dead are not raised, then Christ has
not been raised.” Recently, a famous sociologist wrote about his conversion to
belief in Christ. The stimulus for his new-found faith was scientific evidence
that the soul exists outside the body. Our Christian faith goes far beyond the
survival of the soul. It affirms the resurrection of the body at the end of
time. However, since the early centuries, the Church has expressed credence in
the continuation of the soul until it is reunited with the body.
Next week we will conclude our Sunday readings from the
Gospel of Luke. The evangelist has given us lessons in Christian spirituality. Perhaps
more than the themes of today’s reading, we have been instructed to be compassionate
with those who suffer, forgiving of those who offend us, and persistent in prayer
to the Father. Let us move forward now with Jesus as our guide to a richer and ever-enduring
life.
