According to the Catholic liturgical calendar, we are gradually coming to the end of the Ordinary Time of the Year. The readings focus our attention on the “end time stories” or “apocalypse.” There is sometimes, if not often, a misunderstanding of the meaning of symbols used in the readings. On this 33rd Sunday, the Word of God reveals to us a very important truth: sufferings, evil, injustice, will not last forever; they have expiry date. When one considers some of the events in the world today (the recent Covid-19 and its consequences in our lives at various levels, countries experiencing war, conflicts), the future of humanity looks more uncertain than ever. Minds are gripped by fear especially with regards to high risk of nuclear crisis that could lead to a global conflict.
There Is Hope in God
So, the temptation for us in the face of this blurred picture could be interpreting world events using only apocalyptic language. The word of God today comes to remind us that there is hope, that God is master of time and history. The time when Christ will reign over all powers of darkness, when God will be all in all, is coming.
So, let us allow the symbols and images used in today’s word of God help us uncover the truth that seems to be hidden in them. In the First Reading taken from the Prophet Malachi (meaning my “messenger”), we read: “For those who fear my name [God’s name], there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.” One of the major challenges Christians are confronted with is that of perseverance. It’s sometimes quite tempting to give up, lose hope and even follow the modern-day trends, and do like everyone else. Malachi prophesied because believers started doubting God’s justice, the fulfillment of His promises. To continue believing in the fulfillment of God’s promise of final triumph of divine Love over hatred, of justice over injustice, of eternal beatitude over despair and hopelessness, of purity of heart over immorality, of peace over violence, of forgiveness over hatred and vengeance, there is need for constant renewal in our relationship with God and others.
A Life That is Faith, Hope and Love Oriented Obtains the Grace of Perseverance
Waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise of final triumph of His divine will or the disorder brought by the fallen angel and his cohorts, compels believers to action and not to inaction. The attitude of inaction or indifference in a world where sometimes the voice of violence and crimes speak louder that voice of peace and kindness is what St Paul denounced in the second reading. Christians should not fold their hands and wait for the final triumph. As Mother Theresa often said, God uses our hands, feet, eyes, to show love, compassion, bring hope to a world that is deeply wounded. Sometimes a simple gesture of kindness suffices to make the difference.
God is with us until the End of Times
The warning of Jesus to those who admired the beauty of the Jerusalem temple reminds us of the same truth: temporal realities, no matter how beautiful they may be, must not make us forget that there will be an end to all this. The historical destruction of the Temple is a fact. The focus of the message of Jesus is this: when we hear, see, experience terrifying things like wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues, persecution of Christians, we should remember Christ’s promises: “not a hair on our head will be destroyed”, meaning, God will stand by us and assist us; God is with us until the end of times. So, as Christians we are not losers but winners. This is only possible, if we persevere in faith and good works and we can persevere if we constantly seek God’s help through prayer.
