Beloved in Christ,
This Sunday's readings highlight endings. I want to reflect on these endings in terms of the three Ps: persecution, perseverance, and Parousia. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 21:5-19, Jesus speaks of the events that will lead up to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. He says in apocalyptic language of the cosmic upheaval that will precede the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jewish audience perceived the city and its temple as the center of the universe. Telling them that all will fall apart, that there "will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down," must have been traumatic. But before these, there will be a heavenly and earthly cataclysm like earthquakes, famine, plagues, as well as wars and insurrection. And before these, there will be persecution of Christians. And then, on the day of judgment, the Parousia will follow. There will be a sequence of events before the Day of Judgement, the day of wrath (Dies irae).
All the events Jesus prophesied about Jerusalem came to pass. In 70 AD, the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans. Before the destruction, historians recorded that numerous fearful natural signs appeared in the sky and on earth. Then, the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, a microcosm of the Temple of the Universe, took place. We must recognize that Jesus was prophesying on two levels here —the destruction of Jerusalem and the Universe; the destruction of Jerusalem is a type and sign of what will happen to the whole universe. In other words, as Jesus spoke of Jerusalem, he was also pointing to the end of the world. The first thing to happen is persecution. Christians will be persecuted, and they are still being persecuted today in both overt and subtle ways all over the world. We will suffer persecution for standing for the name of Jesus and his teachings: "You will be hated because of my name," Jesus says.
What do we do while the persecution lasts? What should Christians do as they await the Parousia, the second coming of Jesus, and the Day of Judgement? We must continue to live as Christians. We must live a life of prayer, sacrifice, service, and charity. We must persevere in our Christian obligations. With fortitude, hope, and trust in God's love and providence, we must continue to live out the Christian values. As Malachi said to his Jewish people in preparation for the day of judgment, we must live in fear of God's name (see Malachi 3:20). We must live knowing that Jesus is enough for us, even as we face persecution. We must trust in the grace provided by Jesus through His Church and the Sacraments. There is no time for idleness, as St. Paul instructs the Christian community in Thessalonica to live an orderly life of work and service, "toil and drudgery, night and day " (2 Thessalonians 3:8). Christians are to continue loving God and their neighbor until the end.
Pope Francis, in his apostolic letter Misericordia et Misera, designated the thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary time as "World Day of the Poor". Pope Leo has followed in the footsteps of Francis in his apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te, where he instructs us "On Love for the Poor". So we must remember our Christian obligations to the poor, a people whose condition and care are at the heart of the Gospel. As we prepare for the Parousia and the coming day of judgment, heartfelt love and care for people experiencing poverty is a non-negotiable Christian duty.
In Christ's love,
Fr. Alayode Bernard Oniwe, OP
This Sunday's readings highlight endings. I want to reflect on these endings in terms of the three Ps: persecution, perseverance, and Parousia. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 21:5-19, Jesus speaks of the events that will lead up to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. He says in apocalyptic language of the cosmic upheaval that will precede the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jewish audience perceived the city and its temple as the center of the universe. Telling them that all will fall apart, that there "will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down," must have been traumatic. But before these, there will be a heavenly and earthly cataclysm like earthquakes, famine, plagues, as well as wars and insurrection. And before these, there will be persecution of Christians. And then, on the day of judgment, the Parousia will follow. There will be a sequence of events before the Day of Judgement, the day of wrath (Dies irae).
All the events Jesus prophesied about Jerusalem came to pass. In 70 AD, the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans. Before the destruction, historians recorded that numerous fearful natural signs appeared in the sky and on earth. Then, the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, a microcosm of the Temple of the Universe, took place. We must recognize that Jesus was prophesying on two levels here —the destruction of Jerusalem and the Universe; the destruction of Jerusalem is a type and sign of what will happen to the whole universe. In other words, as Jesus spoke of Jerusalem, he was also pointing to the end of the world. The first thing to happen is persecution. Christians will be persecuted, and they are still being persecuted today in both overt and subtle ways all over the world. We will suffer persecution for standing for the name of Jesus and his teachings: "You will be hated because of my name," Jesus says.
What do we do while the persecution lasts? What should Christians do as they await the Parousia, the second coming of Jesus, and the Day of Judgement? We must continue to live as Christians. We must live a life of prayer, sacrifice, service, and charity. We must persevere in our Christian obligations. With fortitude, hope, and trust in God's love and providence, we must continue to live out the Christian values. As Malachi said to his Jewish people in preparation for the day of judgment, we must live in fear of God's name (see Malachi 3:20). We must live knowing that Jesus is enough for us, even as we face persecution. We must trust in the grace provided by Jesus through His Church and the Sacraments. There is no time for idleness, as St. Paul instructs the Christian community in Thessalonica to live an orderly life of work and service, "toil and drudgery, night and day " (2 Thessalonians 3:8). Christians are to continue loving God and their neighbor until the end.
Pope Francis, in his apostolic letter Misericordia et Misera, designated the thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary time as "World Day of the Poor". Pope Leo has followed in the footsteps of Francis in his apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te, where he instructs us "On Love for the Poor". So we must remember our Christian obligations to the poor, a people whose condition and care are at the heart of the Gospel. As we prepare for the Parousia and the coming day of judgment, heartfelt love and care for people experiencing poverty is a non-negotiable Christian duty.
In Christ's love,
Fr. Alayode Bernard Oniwe, OP
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