The Gospel according to Luke (21:5-11)
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.”
Reflection:
Today’s Gospel should sound quite familiar. Yes, we hear it for Tuesday in the last week of Ordinary Time, but it was also proclaimed a week or so ago, on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time at Mass. It does has a strong sense of forboding, though, doesn’t it?
These words Jesus spoke were very real to the first readers of the Gospel, since the description of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem actually came to pass in the year AD 70 when the Roman general Titus destroyed the city of Jerusalem, including the Temple itself. When Luke wrote his gospel, that event had happened just a few years prior. Okay, sweetie, that’s all the history I will talk about (mostly).
The rest of these words do have relevance to us today, too. Many down through the centuries have looked at current events and seen parallels with today’s Gospel, as well as with apocalyptic literature, including the Book of Revelation. It is not hard to imagine those connections, and many have stated that they have seen them, and that what they see really does mean that the end is near. The problem, though, is that we do not have the Father’s view, and His is the only view that matters.
We human beings don’t like to wait. I suppose that has only gotten worse with smartphones and the Internet, where we hear about things literally as they are happening. In addition, there is an ever-increasing supply of those who can claim to be an “expert” (air quotes), whether or not they actually are qualified. So, what do we do? We trust in God, and in the fact that He does have the only view that matters, and that His plan is the one that we should seek in all we do. And, when things seem to be going awry, let us comfort ourselves to know that God keeps us all in the palm of His hand, and that He will walk with us through whatever comes.
So, let us look ahead to the coming weekend and the new liturgical year, and pray that we focus even more on shining that light of love and hope into the world, knowing that we can make things change for the better in every kind action, every loving word, and every prayer we offer to our loving Creator.
Action for the Day:
It is so easy to get caught up in how badly things may seem to be going in the world, or in our own lives. Let us take time in quiet today to pause and ask our loving Lord to sustain us, and through His Holy Spirit, may He also give us the faith, hope, peace and love to extend His Kingdom today and always.
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