33rd Sunday in Ordinary time
But he said, 'Take care not to be deceived, because many will come using my name and saying, "I am the one" … Luke 21: 8
Intro: In following Christ,. there are times when we may be called upon to suffer for our faith. Today's readings are meant to bring us back down to earth, and help us realise that we don't live In some airy-fairy, idealistic world, but one where we have to interact with others and bear witness to God amidst the everyday situations of our lives.
Readings: Speaking of the end time, Malachi provides a word of warning for the wicked, and foretells a day when those who feared the Lord 's name willl be bathed ln righteousness.
Paul tells the Thessalonians that waiting for Christ's return is no excuse for sitting in idleness. He offers himself as an example of someone who works constantly to support himself, telling them that they have to earn their keep until the day of judgement arrives.
Malachi 3: 19 - 20;
2 Thessalonians 3: 7 - 12;
Luke 21: 5 -19;
During the 1980s, 75,000 people, including Archbishop Romero, eighteen priests and thousands of catechists were murdered by a brutal military regime. In the face of the Church's call to a new evangelisation, a group of wealthy industrialists asked an expert what the best strategy was for spreading the faith. He replied, "martyrdom." There was a long and pregnant pause, before someone asked, "what's the second best strategy?"
As we approach the end of the Church's year, the Gospel points us towards a future time. Jesus' words come just before Luke's account of His passion, and they recall two very significant events: His prediction of the destruction of the Jews' magnificent Temple, which, to them, would be the spiritual equivalent to the end of the world, and which actually happened in 70 A.D.; the second area was about the forthcoming persecution of those who are faithful to Him. Vividly, He describes the hardships which will come to the Church, even resulting in loss of life; Christians would face discrimination and injustice on account of His name. But He also tells His disciples not to be afraid but rather to have confidence that God will bring them through victorious. Such persecution will be an oppportunity for them to bear witness to their faith.
So the prophet Malachi, St. Paul and Jesus all make it clear that we shouldn't get too carried away: worry less about the future and look to the present. Because it's in the present moment that we work out our future salvation, taking opportunities to witness to our faith, enabling us to overcome the daily disasters of life, whether it be earthquake, fire, flood or family tragedy. We'll never be immune from such disasters, but our faith will help us cope with them.
So it's not too surprising, then, that we look for the easier answer too, when the first option is dying for our faith. We play down Christianity's central teaching - the need to back up words with actions - "actions speak louder than words!" That's what Jesus means when He tells us to take up our cross and follow Him. So perhaps today we should think more about living for our faith, willing to take a stand to promote God's Kingdom, regardless of the cost, being more active, more proactive, in doing so.
For us, the problem is not anxiety about the end of the world, but living as if there were an eternity of tomorrows. We work hard to guarantee ironclad security for our families, believing that all we need to do is to gain enough money to guarantee a future under our control, and we ignore Jesus' words in today's Gospel. Yet the readings remind us how short and precious life is, calling us to reflect upon our lives, urging us to look ahead to see just where we are heading, and ask ourselves: What do I need to do to get ready for Christ - what's my strategy?
Intercessions
The Lord asks us to remain faithful, to stay awake at all times and to tum to Him in our moments of need. And so, we pray:-
1. For the universal Church. May She continue to bear witness to the truth of the Gospel in the face of a hostile and increasingly secular world - Lord, hear us.
2. For our one world. May Its leaders continue to promote peace, and practise justice towards all sections of their communities especially the poor and the disenfranchised - Lord, hear us.
3. For our children and our young people. May the example we give them by our own goodness and holiness of life help them grow up to be strong and mature practising Christians - Lord, hear us.
4. Welcome our brothers and sisters who have died into the glorious company of the angels and saints: Archbishop Mario Conti, Alice Smyth; those who have died about this time in past years: John Coletta, Magaret English, Mary & John Farrell, William & Bridget Frizzell, Anele & Alfred Whealey, James & Alice Canovan, John & Margaret McClelland; those who died in the two World Wars of the last century Through their intercession, may we too gain a place with them in Your eternal Kingdom - Lord, hear us.
Loving Father, we place these prayers before You, trusting that You will hear and answer them according to Your will.