Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings: November 14

Fidelis · Nov 13, 2010

A meditation on the 2nd Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: [Around the turn of the 19th century, and the first decade of the 20th,] it was customary for able-bodied male emigrants, going from Europe to America, to “work their passage.” This meant that they traveled free of charge provided they worked as crew members on the sailing ships which were then the means of transport across the Atlantic. For the vast majority of them, who had not the wherewithal to pay for their transport, this was not a hardship but a favor. The three to four weeks’ strenuous and tiring labor seemed as nothing when they thought of the land of freedom and plenty which it enabled them to reach.

We are on a voyage, the voyage of life, which will end on the shores of eternity. It is God’s plan for us that during our voyage we should earn entry into that land of freedom and plenty by “working our passage.” For our period of preparation, he created this earth for us to live on. For our needs he gave it the power to produce the fruits and vegetables, as well as the animals of the fields, the birds of the air and the fishes in the sea. He handed over to man all these gifts for his use and sustenance. Man was to use his gifts of mind and muscle to master the lower creatures and put them to his service. In other words, God provided the raw material. By his labor man had to produce the finished article.

From the beginning this was the law of God for man. Christianity did not change his obligation of labor in any way, except that it exalted man’s labor and gave him a more noble motive for his daily toil. The Christian labors not only to provide the necessities of life for himself but thereby to honor God and, where possible, help his needy neighbor.

There were some among the Thessalonian converts who thought that they were freed from this obligation of daily labor, because they should concentrate all their thoughts and time on the eternal life which was around the corner. St. Paul corrects this erroneous, view. He tells them that they must earn their living by honest labor, for the vice of idleness was no preparation for meeting their Judge.

The great Apostle has the same message for all of us too. It is for all, for the millionaire as well as for the penniless person, for the managing director as well as for the office-cleaner. We must all use the gifts of mind and body which God gave us. We are to do so not only to provide for our own temporal necessities but, where possible, to produce a surplus that is so badly needed by our fellowman in less developed parts of our world today. Laziness is still a vice and an evil inclination which can worm its way into any man no matter what his social status in life may be. Perhaps we are inclined to notice it more in the lower social grades, because the number of such workers is greater. Of course, there is no denying that far too many of these workers are not always honest in their dealings with their employers. Too often their ideal is to get the greatest amount of pay for the least amount of labor. Generally the result is that they do an injustice to their employers, to their fellow workers and to the consumers of the goods which they produce.

However, the employers and business managers can also do an injustice to their employees and to the general public. They do so if, through idleness, they waste the time which they should spend in planning and directing and working for the progress of the business concern which they own or manage. Their sin of laziness seldom gets the publicity it deserves, nor does it often register in their own consciences. Yet as far as the progress of his business and the general prosperity of his city or country is concerned, one negligent and idling director can do more harm than a hundred slacking factory-hands.

We all need to examine our consciences and see if we are honestly “working our passage” to heaven. Do we rest on our oars when we feel that we have enough for ourselves? Do we think of our neighbors at home and abroad who could be helped by a little extra labor on our part? Does the father of the family provide for his household or does he waste his working days because of drinking bouts or other sinful habits? Does the mother of the house work honestly and through her thrift and economy provide for her husband and children? Do the teenagers waste their earnings, or their parents’ earnings, on unnecessary amusements and luxuries while neighbors are short of bread?

As Christians, we should set the example to all others. We know that God gave us the mental and physical gifts we possess. We know too that we must one day render an account of the use we have made of the talents he gave us. If we use them honestly they will pay our passage to our heavenly home. If we abuse them and waste them we shall never see that promised land.

Fidelis · Nov 13, 2010

Gospel Reading - Luke 21:5-19

Again, as we saw last week, recall that Jesus is now in Jerusalem for His passion, and is speaking publicly in the Temple. The disciples are in awe of the magnificence of the temple, and Jesus uses the occasion to give a long discourse, known as the “eschatological discourse” because it has to do with the last days of the world (Luke 21:5:36) The account given here is very similar to those in the other Synoptic Gospels (cf. Mt 24:1-51; Mk 13:1-37). The discourse deals with three inter-connected subjects-- the destruction of Jerusalem (which took place some forty years later), the end of the world, and the second coming of Christ in glory and majesty. Jesus, who also predicts here the persecution of the Church will experience, exhorts His disciples to be patient, to pray and be watchful.

Our Lord speaks here in the style and language of prophecy, using images taken from the Old Testament; also, in this discourse prophecies which are going to be fulfilled very soon are mixed in with others which have to do with the end of the world. It is not our Lord’s intention to satisfy people’s curiosity about future events, but to protect them from being discouraged and scandalized about what is going to happen in the days immediately ahead. This explains why He exhorts them: “Take heed that you are not led astray” (v. 8); “do not be tempted” (v. 9); “watch at all times” (v. 34).

Here it the Gospel Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

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.”

Fidelis · Nov 13, 2010

From the* Navarre Bible Commentary*, with RSV-CE text:

Discourse on the Destruction of Jerusalem and the End of the World
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[5] And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, He (Jesus) 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.

**8. **On hearing that Jerusalem is going to be destroyed, the disciples ask what sign will be given as a warning of these events (vv. 5-7). Jesus answers by telling them “not to be led astray,” that is to say, not to expect any warning; not to be misled by false prophets; to stay faithful to Him. These false prophets will come along claiming to be the Messiah (“I am He!”). Our Lord’s reply in fact refers to two events which in the Jewish mind were interrelated–the destruction of the Holy City and the end of the world. This is why He goes on to speak of both events and implies that there will be a long gap between the two; the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem are a kind of sign or symbol of the catastrophes which will mark the end of the world.

[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.” *
**
9-11.* Our Lord does not want His disciples to confuse just any catastrophe–famine, earthquake, war–or even persecution with the signals of the end of the world. He exhorts them quite clearly: “Do not be tempted,” because although all these has to happen, “the end will not be at once;” in spite of the difficulties of all kinds the Gospel will spread to the ends of the earth. Difficulties should not paralyze the preaching of the faith.

[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.”
**
19.** Jesus foretells all kinds of persecution. Persecution itself is something inevitable: “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). His disciples will have need to remember the Lord’s warning at the Last Supper: “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you” (John 15:20). However, these persecutions are part of God’s providence: they happen because He lets them happen, which He does in order to draw greater good out of them. Persecution provides Christians with an opportunity to bear witness to Christ; without it the blood of martyrs would not adorn the Church. Moreover, our Lord promises to give special help to those who suffer persecution, and He tells them not to be afraid: He will give them of His own wisdom to enable them to defend themselves; He will not permit a hair of their heads to perish, that is, even apparent misfortune and loss will be for them a beginning of Heaven.

From Jesus’ words we can also deduce the obligation of every Christian to be ready to lose life rather than offend God. Only those will attain salvation who persevere until the end in faithfulness to the Lord. The three Synoptic Gospels locate His exhortation to perseverance in this discourse (cf. Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13) and St. Matthew gives it elsewhere (Matthew 10:22) as does St. Peter (1 Peter 5:9)–all of which underlines the importance for every Christian of this warning from our Lord.

Fidelis · Nov 13, 2010

From the 1859 Haydock Commentary with DRV text. (I’ve provided some of the commentary of the parallel passage from Matthew 24 which is more detailed) :

The signs that should forerun the destruction of Jerusalem, and the end of the world.

5 And as some were saying of the temple, that it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said:

Matt 24, 1. After the fatigues of preaching and teaching, Jesus towards evening left the temple, as it is in the Greek, eporeueto apo tou ierou, and went towards Mount Olivet, where he was accustomed to spend his nights, as we learn from St. Luke, chap. xxi. ver. 37. (Jansenius) — His disciples came to shew him the buildings, not moved by curiosity, for they had seen them frequently before, but by pity; because he had on a former occasion, and only just before in Jerusalem, threatened the destruction of the temple and city, hoping that the splendour and magnificence of so fine a structure, consecrated to God, might alter his determination, as St. Hilary observes. But the anger of God, provoked by sins, is not to be appeased with stones and buildings. He therefore answered them: (Jansenius)

*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.

Ver. 6. It was by the divine dispensation of Providence that this city and temple were destroyed; for had the ancient rites and sacrifices continued, some that were but weak in their faith, might have been filled with astonishment at the sight of these different modes of worship, existing at the same time, and thus have been lead astray from the path of truth. (Ven. Bede)

Matt 24, 2. Do you see all these things? Examine again and again all this magnificence, that the sentence of heaven may appear more striking. — A stone upon a stone. We need not look on this as an hyperbole. The temple burnt by the Romans, and afterwards even ploughed up. See Gregory of Nazianzus, orat. ii. cont. Julianum; Theodoret, lib. iii. Histor. chap. xx. &c. (Witham) — Julian the apostate, wishing to falsify the predictions of Daniel and of Jesus Christ, attempted to rebuild the temple. For this purpose, he assembled the chief among the Jews, and asking them why they neglected the prescribed sacrifices, was answered, that they could not offer any where else but in the temple of Jerusalem. Upon this he ordered them to repair to Jerusalem, to rebuild their temple, and restore their ancient worship, promising them his concurrence in carrying on the work. This filled the Jews with inexpressible joy. Hence flocking to Jerusalem, they began with scorn and triumph to insult over the Christians. Contributions came in from all parts. The Jewish women stripped themselves of their most costly ornaments. The emperor opened his treasures to furnish every thing necessary for the building. The most able workmen were convened from all parts; persons of the greatest distinction were appointed to direct the work; and the emperor’s friend, Alipius, was set over the whole, with orders to carry on the work without ceasing, and to spare no expense. All materials were laid in to an immense quantity. The Jews of both sexes bore a share in the labour; the women helping to dig the ground, and carry away the rubbish in their aprons and gowns. It is even said that the Jews appointed some pick-axes, spades, and baskets, to be made of silver, for the honour of the work. Till this time the foundations and some ruins of the walls had remained, as appears from St. Cyril, in his catechism xv. n. 15, and Eusebius, Dem. Evang. lib. viii. p. 406. These ruins the Jews first demolished with their own hands, thus concurring to the accomplishment of our Saviour’s prediction. They next began to dig a new foundation, in which many thousands were employed. But what they had thrown up in the day, was, by repeated earthquakes, the night following cast back again into the trench. When Alipius the next day was earnestly pressing on the work, with the assistance of the governor of the province, there issued, says Ammianus Marcellinus, such horrible balls of fire out of the earth near the foundations, as to render the place inaccessible from time to time to the scorched workmen. And the victorious element continuing in this manner obstinately bent, as it were, to drive them to a distance, Alipius, thought proper to abandon, though reluctantly, the enterprise. This great event happened in the beginning of the year 363, and with many very astonishing circumstances is recorded both by Jews and Christians. See the proofs and a much fuller account of this astonishing event, which all the ancient fathers describe as indubitable, in Alban Butler’s Life of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, March 18th. Thus they so completely destroyed whatever remained of the ancient temple, that there was not left one stone upon another; nor were they permitted by heaven even to begin the new one. (Maldonatus)

Continued on the next post…

Fidelis · Nov 13, 2010

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?

Matt 24, 4. And Jesus answering. Various are the interpretations given here. Some will have it refer to the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place, A.D. 70; and others, to the end of the world. That of St. Chrysostom seems to be very conformable to the context, and is followed by many. He explains all, to the 23d verse exclusively, of what shall precede the destruction of Jerusalem; nor is there any circumstance which cannot easily be referred to that event, as will appear from a careful and attentive observation of the history of the Jews, and of the Church at that time, in the writings of Josephus and Eusebius. Even the preaching of the gospel to the whole world, which seems to favour the contrary explanation, is by the same father said to have taken place before the destruction of Jerusalem. St. Paul tells the Colossians, that even in his time the faith was spread all over the world. The abomination of desolation may be explained of the Roman soldiery, or, of the seditious zealots, who, by their murders and other atrocities, polluted the temple. See Josephus, b. 4. and 5. of The Jewish War. As deicide was a crime peculiar to the Jews and exceeded every other crime, their punishment was severe above measure. Had the Almighty punished them to the full of what they had deserved, not one of the Jews would have escaped. But as he formerly would have spared Sodom and Gomorrha, had there been found therein ten just men to avert the impending ruin; so shall these days of affliction be shortened for the sake of some who believe. The verses subsequent to the 22d, are explained by St. Chrysostom of the second coming of Christ, previous to the general judgment. (Jansenius) — Such as wish for a more particular explanation of every thing preceding the 23d verse, how it applies to the Jews, may consult the concordance of Jansenius, who thus concludes his observations: “Hitherto we have explained all things of the destruction of Jerusalem, which prophecies, though they principally regarded the times of the apostles, may be of use to us in two ways. 1. It will confirm our faith, when we see clearly fulfilled whatever was distinctly foretold of this people; and may serve to increase our fears, when we reflect, that what is immediately added concerning the day of judgment, shall be fulfilled with the same rigorous exactitude and certainty. It is another effect of divine Providence for the increase of our faith, that this prophecy, which was to take place with regard to Jerusalem, is not mentioned by St. John, who lived long enough to see it accomplished, but by the other evangelists, who died long before the event. 2. It should animate us in the practice of virtue, and gratitude to reflect, that whatever tribulations happen to the Church, or throughout the earth, all co-operate to the advantage of the elect. Such as will be good, have nothing to fear.” (Jansenius)

Concluded on the next post…

Fidelis · Nov 13, 2010

8 He said: Take heed that 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.
**
Ver. 8.*** In my name.* They shall not say that they belong to me, or that I sent them: but they shall take to themselves my name, viz. Christ, or Messias, which title is incommunicable to any but myself. In effect, in less than two centuries, there appeared many false Christs and impostors, who pretended to be the one that was to come, the desired of nations. (Calmet) — Perhaps this prophecy is yet to be more expressly fulfilled before the dissolution of the world. Many pious and learned Christians suppose this passage to refer to the time of Antichrist. (Haydock)

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 immediately.

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.

**Ver. 11. **Terrors from heaven. Josephus, in his history of this war, in which Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus, (lib. vii. chap. 12) relates, at length, many of the prodigies which were the forerunners of the dreadful end of this unfortunate city. During a whole year a meteor, like a flaming sword, was seen impending over the city. There were likewise seen in the air, appearances of chariots and numerous armies, which pressed one upon another. On the night of Pentecost, the priests, after a confused noise, heard distinctly these words, “Let us go hence;” which are supposed to have been spoken by the angels, who had hitherto guarded and protected the holy city, but now were taking their leave of it. Josephus was in the Roman camp, before the city, during the siege, and an eye-witness of what passed on the occasion. (Haydock)

12 But before all these things they will lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for my name`s sake:
**
Ver. 12**. This verse is spoken to the apostles alone; and was verified, by most of them having been martyred and put to death, before the destruction of Jerusalem. (Calmet)

13 And it shall happen to you for a testimony.
14 Lay it up, therefore, in 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.

Ver. 15. I will give, &c. In some parts it is said, that Christ himself will speak by the mouths of his disciples, as in this passage of St. Luke; in other places, as St. Matthew Chap. xvi. that the Father will speak; and St. Matthew Chap. x. that the Spirit of the Father will speak. In these different texts there is no contradiction, but a most perfect harmony. What one of the divine Persons says, all three say; for the voice of the Trinity is only one. (St. Ambrose)
*
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.
*
Ver. 18.* A hair of your head, &c*. A hair shall not perish from the head of the disciples of Christ; because not only their most heroic actions, and their public confessions of his name, but even their passing thoughts shall be crowned with adequate rewards. (Ven. Bede)
*
19 In your patience you shall possess your souls.*
**
Ver. 19.*** In your patience, &c.* We then truly possess our souls, when we live in all things perfect, and from the citadel of virtue command and control all the motions of the mind and heart. (St. Gregory, Mag. Moral. v. chap. 13.)

Fidelis · Nov 13, 2010

Other thoughts and comments on this Sunday’s Gospel Reading:

5 While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings: Some of the crowd were admiring the beauty of the Temple. This was the Second Temple, largely built by Herod the Great. Reportedly one of the wonders of the ancient world (its immense white marble stones and gold adornment could be seen for miles away), it had only been completed 6 years when it was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70.

**he said, 6 “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.”: ** The Romans leveled the temple to the ground in the year 70 A.D. fulfilling his prophecy to the letter. The Roman legionnaires literally cast each stone down to pry out all the gold that adorned the temple. All that remains to this day is part of the Western (also called the “Wailing”) Wall.

**7 Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”: **Like all humans, the hearers want an indication of when the events are beginning. Maybe there will be time then to repent and be saved—this is surely easier than living the live God wants us to live every day of our lives.

**8 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!: **False Messiahs will appear before the end of the world trying to mislead Christians. It happened before and during the destruction of Jerusalem. It continues even to our own day in the constant proliferation of new cults and sects, often built around a charismatic personality.
**
9 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.”: **Many troubles and misfortunes will occur. Before the end of the world nation will fight nation, kingdom will be against kingdom. This was literally fulfilled in first century Rome, when in the instability accompanying a quick succession of several emperors, local rebellions and insurrections took place, one of the earliest of which was the one by the Jews that led to the destruction of the temple in AD 70, and Jerusalem itself about 60 years later.

10 Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

11 There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky: Expressions used elsewhere in Scripture for great sorrows. See 2 Samuel 24:13; Isaiah; 8:21; Jeremiah 21:9; Ezekiel 5:12. Also, as in the case of the wars and insurrections mentioned above, it is recorded that these events also increased around the Roman empire prior to the destruction of the temple. For example: the Jewish historian Josephus noted that during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans, soldiers were seen fighting in the sky, and sign like a sword or a dagger hung over the city for a time (what looked a dagger to Josephus could very well have been the sign of the Cross).

Nothing definite can be deduced from these words as to what these signs will be which will precede the end, especially the ultimate end, i.e. the Second Coming. That it is in the distant future seems clear from the fact that many other events must take place first.

**12 "Before all this happens, however: **He is now telling his disciples and followers that they will have their own personal tribulations to face in the near future because of their faith in him. This part of the discourse is really the key message of this passage, both for Jesus’ 1st century disciples, and all his disciples in the centuries to come—including us.

**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

13 It will lead to your giving testimony.

14 Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand:** The Greek word used here, pro-méleta, occurs only here in the entire New Testament. It means “to practice gestures or rehearse a dance.” Christians are not stage actors.

15 for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute: Luke 12:12 ascribes this inspiration to the Holy Spirit.
**
16 You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death: **The first generation of Jewish converts to Christianity were betrayed and even persecuted by their own relatives and families.

**17 You will be hated by all because of my name,

18 but not a hair on your head will be destroyed: **Usually translated “perish.” If they bear their sufferings for Christ’s name they will earn the true life, the eternal life of heaven. The future resurrection of the body sustains the martyrs.

19 By your perseverance you will secure your lives: Jesus exhorts His disciples—including us—to perseverance amid persecution and duress.

Fidelis · Nov 13, 2010

This Sunday’s Gospel Reading is cited in the CCC in the following two sections:

The Church’s ultimate trial

675 Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.574 The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth 575 will unveil the “mystery of iniquity” in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.576

Cf. Lk 18:8; Mt 24:12.

575. Cf. Lk 21:12; Jn 15:19-20.

Cf. 2 Thes 2:4-12; 1 Thes 5:2-3; 2 Jn 7; 1 Jn 2:18,22.

679 Christ is Lord of eternal life. Full right to pass definitive judgment on the works and hearts of men belongs to him as redeemer of the world. He “acquired” this right by his cross. The Father has given “all judgment to the Son”.587 Yet the Son did not come to judge, but to save and to give the life he has in himself.**588 **By rejecting grace in this life, one already judges oneself, receives according to one’s works, and can even condemn oneself for all eternity by rejecting the Spirit of love.589

Jn 5:22; cf. 5:27; Mt 25:31; Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Tim 4:1.

588. Cf. Lk 21:12; Jn 15:19-20.

Cf. Jn 3:18; 12:48; Mt 12:32; 1 Cor 3:12-15; Heb 6:4-6; 10:26-31.

Fidelis · Nov 13, 2010

Some questions on the Gospel Reading for personal study and application:

Code:

* The disciples identified the destruction of the Temple with the end of the world; in this chapter, Jesus separates the events. In verses 8-19, which is he teaching about?

Code:

* How would you apply this passage (verses 12-19) to your present situation with relatives, friends or neighbors? How is Jesus asking you to prepare for resistance from these people? If you have ever met genuine resistance or persecution, how did you give testimony?

Fidelis · Nov 13, 2010

A meditation on the Gospel reading for personal application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: The reason why these verses of St. Luke’s gospel were 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 feastday of the Kingship of Christ, today’s Mass is really the last of our liturgical year. We begin our new liturgical year, the First Sunday of Advent, on next Sunday week.

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 everyone 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 people. They would rather put it far from their minds, but of all the other things that can possibly happen to them 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 himself 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.

Fidelis · Nov 14, 2010

A meditation on the Gospel Reading from Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations:

"By your endurance you will gain your lives"

**Meditation: **Do you recognize God’s action and signs in the world today? Jesus foretold many signs of God’s action and judgment. To the great consternation of the Jews, Jesus prophesied the destruction of their temple at Jerusalem. The Jewish people took great pride in their temple, a marvel of the ancient world. The foretelling of this destruction was a dire judgment in itself. They sought Jesus for a sign that would indicate when this would occur. Jesus admonished them to not seek signs but rather to seek God’s kingdom. There will be plenty of signs – such as wars, famines, diseases, tidal waves and earthquakes – pointing to God’s ultimate judgment.

Jesus’ prophecy is a two-edged sword, because it points not only to God’s judgment, but also to his saving action and mercy. Jesus foretells the destruction of Jerusalem and the dire consequences for all who would reject him and his saving message. While the destruction of Jerusalem’s temple was determined (it was razed by the Romans in 70 A.D.), there remained for its inhabitants a narrow open door leading to deliverance. Jesus says: “I am the door; whoever enters by me will be saved” (John 10:9). Jesus willingly set his face toward Jerusalem, knowing that he would meet betrayal, rejection, and death on a cross. His death on the cross, however, brought about victory and salvation, not only for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but for all – both Jew and gentile – who would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Is your life securely submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ?

If the gospel message is good news, then why do so many oppose it with hostility and even violence? Jesus warns his followers that they will be confronted with persecution, wickedness, false teaching, and temptation. The real enemy of the gospel is Satan who uses fear and hatred to provoke hostility in others towards those who follow Christ. And what is Jesus’ response to this hostility and opposition? Love and truth. Only love can defeat prejudice, intollerance, and hatred. God’s love purifies our hearts and minds of all that would divide and tear people apart. The truth is also essential for overcoming evil and tribulation in the world. Satan deceives and sin blinds the heart and mind. Only God’s truth can free us from error and spiritual blindness. This gospel is God’s word of truth and salvation. That is why Jesus tells his disciples to proclaim the gospel throughout the whole world, even in the midst of opposition and persecution.

Jesus tells his disciples that if they endure to the end they will gain their lives – they will see God’s salvation and inherit eternal life and happiness with God. Endurance is more than human effort and perseverance. It is a supernational gift of the Holy Spirit which enables us to bear up under trials, temptations, and persecution. Endurance is strengthened with hope – the supernatural assurance that we will see God face to face and inherit all the promises he has made. Jesus is our supreme model and hero who endured the cross for our sake (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus willingly shed his blood for our sake and for our salvation and he calls us to love and to die to ourselves in like manner.

Continued on the next post…

Fidelis · Nov 14, 2010

The word “martyr” in Greek means “witness”. The Book of Revelations says that “Jesus was the faithful witness …who freed us from our sins by his blood” (Rev. 1:5). Tertullian, a second century lawyer who converted when he saw Christians singing as they went out to die by the hands of their persecutors, exclaimed: “The blood of the martyrs is seed.” Their blood is the seed of new Christians, the seed of the church. The third century bishop, Cyprian said: “When persecution comes, God’s soldiers are put to the test, and heaven is open to martyrs. We have not enlisted in an army to think of peace and to decline battle, for we see that the Lord has taken first place in the conflict.” True martyrs live and die as witnesses of the gospel. They overcome their enemies through persevering hope and courage, sacrificial love and forebearance, kindness and compassion.

St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) wrote, “The martyrs were bound, jailed, scourged, racked, burned, rent, butchered – and they multiplied!” Why is this the case? The Christian martyrs witnessed to the truth, joy, and freedom of the gospel, by their life, their testimony, and by the shedding of their own blood. Today unfortunately we witness many extremists and misguided individuals who will sacrifice their lives, and kill others in the process, out of hatred, revenge, and prejudice. From a Christian point of view, they are not true martyrs because their sacrifice is not motivated by God’s merciful love and forgiveness, truth and righteousness.

True martyrs pray for their persecutors and love their enemies. In their suffering and in their death they witness the truth of the gospel – that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus died on the cross for Jews and Greeks, Christians and Muslims, agnostics and atheists. Satan seeks to destroy our faith through the fear of death and he incites others to persecute Christians for their faith in Christ. Martyrs who shed their blood for Jesus Christ win great victory, not only for themselves, but for the whole people of God. The martyrs overcome Satan by enduring death through their faith in Christ who died and rose for us. And through their witness many others recognize the victory of the cross and believe in the gospel. The martyrs witness to the truth – the truth of Jesus Christ and his power to overcome sin and fear, hatred and prejudice, and even death itself. What gives courage and confidence to the martyrs is the firm hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life and happiness with God.

God may call some of us to be martyrs for our faith. But for most of us, our call is to be ‘dry’ martyrs who bear testimony to the joy and power of the gospel in the midst of daily challenges, contradictions, temptations and adversities which come our way as we follow the Lord. What most attracts others to the truth and power of the gospel? When they see Christians loving their enemies, being joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, pardoning injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear our adversaries. God will give us sufficient grace, strength, and wisdom to face any trial and to answer any challenge to our faith. Are you eager to bear witness to the joy and freedom of the gospel?
*
“Lord Jesus, by your cross you have redeemed the world. Fill me with joy and confidence and make me a bold witness of your saving truth that others may know the joy and freedom of the gospel.” *

Fidelis · Nov 14, 2010

A reflection on the Sunday Readings by Dr. Scott Hahn (same as in Post #1):

**
‘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 and Ascension, by 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 3:9; 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 deception is the background also for today’s Epistle (see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).

The signs Jesus gives His Apostles seem to already have come to pass in the New Testament. In Acts, the Epistles and Revelation, we read of famines and earthquakes, the Temple’s desolation. We read 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, and forces and authorities hostile to God.

As we do in today’s Psalm, we should sing His praises, joyfully proclaim His coming as Lord and King. The Day of the Lord is always a day that has already come 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.

Fidelis · Nov 14, 2010

Viewing History in the Larger Context of God
Biblical Reflection for 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time C
By Father Thomas Rosica, CSB

As we come to the end of the Church’s liturgical year, our Sunday Scripture readings are filled with apocalyptic images that may well terrify us with their intensity, honesty, realism and practicality. Apocalyptic writing was popular in Christian circles for a millennium. Major historical crises most often triggered apocalyptic thinking.

Not all uses of the word “apocalypse,” however, have to do with a special kind of literature. St. Paul insisted that he received his gospel not from human sources but “by revelation” (Galatians 1:12) and that he went to Jerusalem to meet with other Christian leaders “by revelation” (Galatians 2:2). But as a kind of literature, apocalyptic deals with a revelation, or series of revelations, usually by means of an angel, which discloses the supernatural world beyond the world of historical events. The focus is on eschatology, the end of the world as we now experience it and the beginning of a new world. Usually the transition is described in terms of transformations cosmic in scope and nature, along with judgment of failed persons and institutions and the vindication of God’s saints.

Although some apocalypses involve ascensions into another world, both the Apocalypse to John and the apocalyptic discourse of Jesus in Luke 21 (Mark 13; Matthew 24:1-38) join historical events with descriptions of what is going on behind and beyond history. What is going on is mixed with what is really going on, history being set in the larger context of God’s purpose, the whole being an extraordinary writing with historical descriptions laced with symbols, signs, and mysterious figures of speech. As strange as this literature may seem to us, it is a dramatic witness to the tenacity of faith and hope among the people of God.

Context

The destruction of Jerusalem is the historical event that prompted Jesus’ apocalyptic speech in today’s Gospel passage (Luke 21:5-19). Mark, for example, described the desecration of the Jerusalem temple by the Romans (Mark 13:14) as the apocalyptic symbol (see Daniel 9:27; 12:11) accompanying the end of the age and the coming of the Son of Man. Luke (Luke 21:20-24), however, removes the apocalyptic setting and separates the historical destruction of Jerusalem from the signs of the coming of the Son of Man by a period that he refers to as “the times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24).

Jesus’ eschatological discourse in Luke (21:5-36) is inspired by Mark 13, but Luke has made some significant alterations to the words of Jesus found there. Luke maintains the belief in the early expectation of the end of the age but, by focusing attention throughout the gospel on the importance of the day-to-day following of Jesus and by reinterpreting the meaning of some of the signs of the end from Mark 13, he has come to terms with what seemed to the early Christian community to be a delay of the parousia – the second coming of Christ at the end of time.

Signs of the end

In dealing with the persecution of the disciples (Luke 21:12-19) and the destruction of Jerusalem (20-24) Luke is pointing to eschatological signs that have already been fulfilled. In Luke’s text, Jesus speaks in the temple and not away from the temple on the Mount of Olives. The audience for Jesus’ discourse in today’s Gospel is “all the people” and not the disciples in private (Matthew 24:3) or the original four disciples (Mark 13:3). In today’s Gospel (Luke 21:5-19), the signs of the end are threefold: the appearance of false messiahs and false calculators of time and place (8); wars, tumults, and international conflicts (9-10); and natural disasters with cosmic terror (11). The coming to conclusion of God’s purpose will affect not just Israel but all nations, not just the nations but also the entire cosmos. There is no area of God’s creation so remote as to be unaffected by God’s fulfillment of the divine intention.

Continued on the next post…

Fidelis · Nov 14, 2010

A time for bearing faithful witness

However, disciples are not to be so preoccupied with these events as to be terrified or led astray by those who claim to have probed the divine mysteries and ascertained the time and place. The important thing to keep in mind is that before the end there is to be a time of witnessing (12-19). Those claiming "The time (kairos=opportune time) is at hand (8) fail to understand that calculations of time (chronos=calendar time) do not lead one to know the fulfillment of God’s time (kairos). The present moment is a time for bearing testimony (13). Now is the time to bear a faithful witness to the entire world.

Because of their witness, disciples will be bought before the synagogues and before governors and kings (both realities were fulfilled in the Acts of the Apostles). Hatred, betrayal by relatives and friends, and death await them. There is nothing here of the arrogance of folly we often see and hear in modern apocalyptists, an arrogance born of a doctrine of a rapture in which believers are lifted above the conditions of persecution and hardship. Disciples are not exempt from suffering. In the mist of the crises and storms the disciples of Jesus, then and now, will be given “a mouth and wisdom” (15) for the appropriate message to be delivered. Keep in mind that in Luke, one of the most important functions of the Holy Spirit is to inspire speech.

**More than architectural admiration
**
Today’s Gospel scene came at a moment late in Jesus’ ministry, and the disciples stood with him on Jerusalem’s holiest ground and stared at the majestic temple of Jerusalem, the centre of Jewish culture and religion, Herod’s masterpiece of appeasement of the Jews. It was clearly a sight to stir the soul! And yet this group outing to the Temple Mount suddenly turned serious. What began with architectural admiration became a prophetic glimpse of what discipleship would cost those who would bear his name. It would bring public persecution and betrayal by those closest in the circle of family and friends. Now the long-promised Messiah-prophet had come and taken his place in a temple rebuilt for the third time. His very presence was the visitation of God.

Jesus spoke about the earth-shattering catastrophes including the seizure, persecution, deliverance and betrayal of the disciples. He also spoke about the many who will come in his name to bring quick fixes to the great dilemmas of his and our time. Jesus is clearly no stranger to the horrific forces still on the prowl in our world. Their terror, whether cosmic or personal, is overcome by the assurance that he knows his own, even the number of the hairs on their heads. He went to the cross to make that assurance trustworthy. It is not stoic determination that gets us “gain of soul,” but faithful reliance on his promise of grace sufficient in weakness, a grace that works in everything for the gain of the soul.

To reject the divine reign Jesus brought would be to bring down the judgment of God. To endure under his gracious reign would be “to gain your souls.” Remember that Jesus spoke of the soul not as fixed but “gained.” The soul is that inward capacity in which the divine and human connect in a lifelong process of anchoring and maturing and enduring–enduring that will not flinch in the face of suffering.

What’s in a name?

If apocalyptic literature shocks us, it may well be for good reasons. Maybe we need to be lulled out of our complacent faith and beliefs, our way of living and acting, and realize that time is short, that the Lord truly does come like a thief in the night, that we must radically change our ways today, not tomorrow. The theme of Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel is that his “name” (which is the equivalent of his mission and his person) will be the cause of disruption.

And yet we often remain so uncourageous, shunning any form of conflict and struggle. We hide our Catholic Christian identity for fear of “offending” others or of being labeled Christian or Catholic. Have we ever stopped to realize that maybe some things in this world are truly worth fighting for, and even dying for? Have we forgotten that those associated with “the Name” will endure persecution?

A lesson

There is also an important message for us in today’s second reading from Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 3:7-12). St. Paul admonishes the Thessalonians about a specific problem in their community that has grown out of the intense eschatological speculation, namely, not to work but to become instead disorderly busybodies (6-15). Some members of the community, probably because they regarded the parousia as imminent or the new age of the Lord to be already here had apparently ceased to work for a living. They allowed themselves to be overcome with fear and paralysis about the future, and longed for imminent deliverance from the present struggles and suffering. They effectively gave up and used the parousia as an excuse to cease transforming the society in which they lived by their faithful and courageous witness. They busied themselves with all the wrong things!

As we near the end of the liturgical year and are confronted with ultimate things in today’s Scripture readings, let us never forget that we are called to give witness through our daily living. Amid painful and prolonged suffering, when there can be seen on the horizon of predictable history no relief from disaster, faith turns its face toward heaven not only for a revelation of God’s will but also for a vision of the end of the present misery and the beginning of the age to come. That thought alone is a cause of consolation, joy and hope in the midst of the storms of our times.

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Fidelis · Nov 14, 2010

The Passage through a World that is Passing Away – A Meditation on the Gospel of the 33rd Week of the Year
By: Msgr. Charles Pope

In 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 too are encouraged to see that our own lives are on a trajectory that leads ultimately to autumn and then the winter of death. But for those who have faith this passage to death leads ultimately to glory. Scripture says, And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever (1 John 2:17).

In today’s gospel the Lord Jesus gives us a kind of road map of life and calls us to have a sobriety as to the passing and perilous nature of this world in which we live.

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 is growing among the Jews. The Zealot party and other factions are building power. Jesus, in this passage, prophesies that war will come and lead to Jerusalem’s ultimate destruction. Everything that they knew was going to pass away. By the Summer of 66 AD a three and half year war ensued that resulted in the complete destruction of Jerusalem and the death of 1.2 million Jews. Josephus records the war in great detail in his work The Jewish War.

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

*1. PORTRAIT OF PASSING THINGS – The text says, 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, glorious though it now is, it is all going to be thrown down. We too must hear that whatever glory we see or experience in this world will not ultimately last. It is all going to pass away. The Temple is a portrait of passing things. Just as it was in splendor and now is gone, so too everything we see now and admire will pass. This is a sober truth we must come to accept, even if it is difficult. Other scriptures remind us of this truth. For example, The world as we know it is passing away (1 Cor 7:29). And again, *And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever *(1 John 2:17). Hence this world is passing and we too are passing from it one day soon. Note however, for them as well as for us, one world was ending, but another was beginning. The Old Testament, Old Covenant 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 for us, we should not lament the end of this world or even our death, for a newer great world of heaven awaits if we are faithful. In fact, through the liturgy and sacraments that new world is already breaking forth if we partake of it.

2. POINTS OF PASSAGE TO PROMISED THINGS – Having been informed at the passing of all they see the apostles ask for signs that will precede the coming end to the temple and all things they know. We too can learn from what Jesus teaches them and apply it to our lives. Jesus warns them of four perils on the passage to the promised land of the New Testament of the age of the Church. We too will experience perils in our journey to the Promised Land of Heaven.
**
A. FALSE MESSIAHS –** The text says, ”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!- Do you want Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life? Then you’ve got to get rid of false messiahs. There are just too many people giving worldly things and people greater authority in their life than Jesus Christ and what he teaches. Fads, fashions, philosophies, all those people, things and philosophies we submit our lives to in hope that we be happy. The danger is that something or someone is reigning in your life other than Jesus Christ. Perhaps it is someone in power we admire, or someone in the media whom we give authority and 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 own convictions or ideas that over-rule God’s teachings. A false messiah is any one or any thing that is telling you how to organize your life other than Jesus Christ. 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. It is not that we can’t use these things but they are not the messiah. None of these things or people every died for you. Only Jesus did that. The power to save you is in the blood of Jesus Christ. It is not in the statehouse, courthouse, or White-house – it’s in the blood, the saving blood of the lamb.

Continued on next post…

Fidelis · Nov 14, 2010

B. FIERCE MILITARISM – The text says: 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. And we too are in a war, a battle. Before Christ can reign unambiguously in you the false powers in you have to be defeated. They will not go without a fight. The world, the flesh, and the devil can be expected to wage a fierce battle to keep their power. Are you in a battle? Too many Christians have lost the sense of battle. Scripture says, Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7). And yet too many not only do 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). And 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 – the Text says: ***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 speak of a comet and strange views of what we know today as the Aurora Borealis. But what of us? For us What are earthquakes of life? Earthquakes involve the shaking of the ground! The shaking of that which is most stable and basic to us. What are you basing your life on? What is the foundation of your life? For most of us the foundations of this world are things like, Money, Politics, Friends, Family, our own skills. All of these things are shaken in life and all of them will eventually fail. Our talents and personal powers fade as we age, family members and friends die, move or fail us. Political power and worldly access fails. Haven’t we all experienced our world shaken, our soul famished, the plagues of sin that infect our world and ourselves? Haven’t the stars, all the things that orient us, fallen from the sky from time to time and the sun, the light we see by darkened. Has not the world turned upside down? Maybe it was the sudden death of a loved one, the loss of a job, trials, tragedies, testings, and tumult, a diagnosis of cancer or Alzheimer disease. This is why God has to be our ultimate foundation. Either Jesus is our foundation, or something else is. Without God as our foundation we cannot stand. The foundations of this world will cave, Christ must be our sure foundation.

**D. FEARFUL MALICE - **The text says, ***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……You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends 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. 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 had much to suffer through persecutions. Most of us in the Christian West have had less to suffer but more difficult days may well be ahead as the secular West grows increasingly hostile to the traditional Christian Faith. Persecution however is an expected part of the Christian journey to the promised land of heaven. Even if we’re not handed over it is a truth of our time that many of us are not taken seriously, are written off or called names even by our closest family and friends? Christ tells us not to worry of such things. They are part of the normal Christian life. And 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 but not our soul, unless we allow it.

So these are the perils that we must soberly accept on our journey home to the promised land of heaven. This leads to the final exhortation of Christ.

**3. PRESCRIPTION for the PASSAGE to PROMISED THINGS - **The text says, ***By your perseverance you will secure your lives. ***Despite these perils we can only journey on and not lose faith or lose heart. There is glory waiting for us if we persevere. Scripture says elsewhere: But he who endures to the end will be saved (Mat 10:22) and again, *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.” But 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 alright.

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Fidelis · Nov 14, 2010

A synthesis of the Gospel Reading by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
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

Code:

* (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.

Fidelis · Nov 14, 2010

Hasten the End - Apocalypse Now!
by: Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio

The Apocalypse – What does the Bible really teach about the End of the World, Armageddon, the second coming of Jesus Christ and the ultimate defeat of Satan and the Antichrist? The gospels and the book of Revelation raise many apocalyptic questions for Christians that demand reflection.

Whenever I lead a trip to the Holy Land, the question inevitably comes, “Will we visit Armageddon?’ This refers, of course, to the battlefield surrounding the ancient city of Megiddo where some think the final confrontation will take place before the end of the world (Rev 16:16). Catholics and Protestants alike have a fascination with the Scriptural accounts of the cataclysmic events associated with the end.

The church, following the Scriptures, indeed teaches that Jesus will return in glory and this world as we know it will indeed come to a screeching halt, but not before a fierce, cosmic battle in which the Enemy makes his final bid for world domination (CCC 675-677).

But the last battle will not be the only battle.

The Four Seasons

The truth is that though nature’s four seasons continue to cycle serenely throughout the ages, and men and women, as in the days of Noah, continue to marry and be given in marriage, there is at the heart of history a continual battle going on. In fact, the battle began before human history, when Michael and his forces swept the legions of Lucifer out of heaven. There is a reason that we never get tired of love stories–love is of the essence of human life. There is also a reason that we never get tired of war stories – war has been our constant companion and will be so until the last trumpet.

Many are puzzled when trying to interpret passages like this Sunday’s gospel, not to mention the entire book of Revelation. Are Jesus and the inspired writers referring to the end of the world, or rather to the events happening in their own day, such as the destruction of Jerusalem and the persecution of the Church by the pagan Romans?

The answer is not an either/or but rather both/and. The Antichrist is a future figure who will come at the end. But he has also worn various masks over the course of time such as the Emperor Nero, Adolph Hitler, and Josef Stalin. Under the surface of history, the battle is raging. At certain moments, the fight takes center-stage in the evening news and battle lines become very clear–as in World War II or today’s abortion holocaust.

There are two big mistakes we could make here. One would be to smugly deny this view of things as just so much apocalyptic hysteria. The other would be to preoccupy ourselves with speculation over the future battle while neglecting to engage in the battle at hand. Innocent pre-born babies are being slaughtered on a daily basis; thousands of Christians are imprisoned and tortured worldwide because of their faith, millions are exploited economically, and a secularist propaganda machine mounts a relentless attack on marriage and chastity. Are we combatants in this struggle or do we sit by the sidelines reading the headlines?

Apocalyptic speculation is a waste of valuable time and energy. Jesus clearly says “as to the exact day or hour, no one knows it” (Mark 13:32). It is futile to try to figure it out. But denying the reality of the current conflict or leaving the combat to others is also a waste of precious time.

Bold Christians

We pray for the glorious return of the Lord, for him to come and right all wrongs and bring deliverance and eternal reward. But our second reading says that “now he waits until his enemies are placed beneath his feet.” (Hebrews 10:13). Often a sneaky enemy will not show his true colors and unleash his full might until his back is up against the wall. The final victory will be something that only the Lord himself will accomplish. But it would seem that he will only come for the coup de grace when we, the members of his body, by the power of his grace, have helped to paint the enemy into a corner through our evangelism, intercession, works of mercy, and social activism.

Fidelis · Nov 14, 2010

A reflection on the Gospel from Presentation Ministries:

**MARANATHA! COME, LORD JESUS!

“He comes to rule the earth; He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity.”** —Psalm 98:9

As we near the end of the year we come a year nearer to the end of the world. “The world as we know it is passing away” (1 Cor 7:31). Jesus said: "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" (Lk 21:10-11).
*
“But before any of this, they will manhandle and persecute you” (Lk 21:12). “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”* (Lk 21:17-19). “Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble” (Mal 3:19).

However, for those who fear the Lord, “there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays” (Mal 3:20). *Maranatha! *(1 Cor 16:22) Come, Lord Jesus!

Prayer: Father, by evangelization, repentance, and intercession may I hasten the end of the world and Jesus’ second coming (2 Pt 3:12).

Promise: “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.” —Lk 21:14-15

Praise: Jesus is coming; Jesus is coming soon! Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

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Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings: November 14

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