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?”
He answered,
“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!
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.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.“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.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Today Is the Day
It is the age between our Lord’s first coming and His last. We live in the new world begun by His life, death, Resurrection, Ascension, and the sending of His Spirit upon the Church. But we await the day when He will come again in glory.
“Lo, the day is coming,” Malachi warns in today’s First Reading. The prophets taught Israel to look for the day of the Lord, when He would gather the nations for judgment (see Zephaniah 3:8; Isaiah 3:13–14; 2 Peter 3:7).
Jesus anticipates this day in today’s Gospel. He cautions us not to be deceived by those claiming “the time has come.” Such fraudulence is the background also for today’s Epistle, with Paul having just warned the Thessalonians to “let no one deceive [them] in any way” with letters “allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand” (2 Thessalonians 2:2–3).
The signs Jesus gives His Apostles seem to already have come to pass in the New Testament: In the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the Book of Revelation we read of famines, earthquakes, and the Temple’s desolation. We read also of persecutions—believers imprisoned and put to death, testifying to their faith with wisdom in the Spirit. These “signs,” then, show us the pattern for the Church’s life, both in the New Testament and today.
We, too, live in a world of nations and kingdoms at war. And we should take the Apostles as our “models,” as today’s Epistle counsels. Like them, we must persevere in the face of unbelieving relatives and friends; we must be bold when dealing with forces and authorities hostile to God.
As we do in today’s Psalm, we should sing His praises, joyfully proclaiming His coming as Lord and King. The day of the Lord is always a day that has already arrived and a day still yet to come. It is the “today” of our Liturgy.
The Apostles prayed marana tha—“O Lord, come!” (see 1 Corinthians 16:22; Revelation 22:20). In the Eucharist He answers, coming again as the Lord of Hosts and the Sun of Justice with its healing rays. It is a mighty sign—and a pledge of that day to come.
Jesus is the focus of this Gospel passage, as He is throughout most of all four Gospels. This is why it’s so important for us to make reading, reflecting on, and applying the Gospels a central part of our life.
The four Gospels occupy a central place because Christ Jesus is their center. (CCC 139)
Votive offerings of various sorts could be considered a part of what is known as “popular piety.” These religious practices, varying from culture to culture, can be of great help to a life of faith when they are properly understood and practiced.
In addition to the liturgy, Christian life is nourished by various forms of popular piety, rooted in the different cultures. While carefully clarifying them in the light of faith, the Church fosters the forms of popular piety that express an evangelical instinct and a human wisdom and that enrich Christian life. (CCC 1679)
STAND ERECT AND RAISE YOUR HEADS BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION IS AT HAND.
LUKE 21:28
Questions To Reflect On
In what ways might I be persecuted due to my friendship with Jesus? How can I best persevere in the faith?
What forms of popular piety are expressed in my community? How might I promote or participate in them?
Pray
St. John the Apostle, pray that I keep in mind the realities of death, judgment, heaven, and hell. May God’s revealed truth about the eternal destiny of all people inspire me to a life of gratitude, striving to merit His gift of salvation in Jesus, my Lord and King. Amen.
