Fr. Marsel R. Taruk sx
33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time - November 13, 2022
On 24 February 2022, when the Russian troops launched their invasion in Ukraine, the world was taken by deep surprise. Our fear went wild while thinking that the end of the world was knocking on our door; and we began to imagine that the third world war had broken out. However, so far what we see after 9 months of the invasion is that Russia's ill-fated move has destroyed the world economic stability, worsened the global food crisis and refugees' situation. But it sounds there is no sign of the end of time.
As we move toward the end of the Liturgical Year, the Sunday readings dwell upon the themes of the end of time, the final judgement and the ultimate salvation or damnation.
Indeed, when reading the Gospel for this Sunday, we may say that catastrophes, disasters, wars, insurrections, etc. are not signs of the end of the world, but of how far we actually are from the end. Jesus himself, in the Gospel of Luke forebodes terrible times ahead, a day coming when not one stone of the Jerusalem temple remaining on another. He warns about the signs: wars, insurrections... nations fighting to death against nations; tribes, people, and clans clashing against one another. The earth protest ing - as it were - with mighty quakes, the biosystem spawning plagues and famines. Eventually, there will be rejection and even persecution for those who believe in Christ. Still Christ - as if to anticipate our wonder - offers us advice: “Do not be perturbed… These things are bound to happen.” Life is bound to be this way. Each day is the last; each time seems to be the end time. Each human being faces the end of the world in the span of his life, whether it lasts just a minute or eighty years. Every sunset announces the closing of a day that will never come again. And each generation, like each death and every day, witnesses the signs of the end of times.
We can face the end not by being fearful of these events, but by being faithful to Jesus’ good news about God’s kingdom. Preaching, teaching, and living in Jesus’ name is the one sure way to prepare for Jesus’ Second Coming and to secure eternal life. Jesus promised that his disciples would never meet their tribulations alone. We have the evidence of history that the good, faithful Christians have left us so abundantly, when their bodies were tortured and when they were awaiting death, of joyful and blessed times with Christ. Jesus trusted us enough to offer us not an easy way, but a way for totally dedicated disciples, a way for martyrdom. A prison can be like a palace, a cell like a throne, the storms of life like summer weather, when Christ is \with us. The man who walks with Christ may lose his life but he can never lose his soul.
33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time - November 13, 2022
On 24 February 2022, when the Russian troops launched their invasion in Ukraine, the world was taken by deep surprise. Our fear went wild while thinking that the end of the world was knocking on our door; and we began to imagine that the third world war had broken out. However, so far what we see after 9 months of the invasion is that Russia's ill-fated move has destroyed the world economic stability, worsened the global food crisis and refugees' situation. But it sounds there is no sign of the end of time.
As we move toward the end of the Liturgical Year, the Sunday readings dwell upon the themes of the end of time, the final judgement and the ultimate salvation or damnation.
Indeed, when reading the Gospel for this Sunday, we may say that catastrophes, disasters, wars, insurrections, etc. are not signs of the end of the world, but of how far we actually are from the end. Jesus himself, in the Gospel of Luke forebodes terrible times ahead, a day coming when not one stone of the Jerusalem temple remaining on another. He warns about the signs: wars, insurrections... nations fighting to death against nations; tribes, people, and clans clashing against one another. The earth protest ing - as it were - with mighty quakes, the biosystem spawning plagues and famines. Eventually, there will be rejection and even persecution for those who believe in Christ. Still Christ - as if to anticipate our wonder - offers us advice: “Do not be perturbed… These things are bound to happen.” Life is bound to be this way. Each day is the last; each time seems to be the end time. Each human being faces the end of the world in the span of his life, whether it lasts just a minute or eighty years. Every sunset announces the closing of a day that will never come again. And each generation, like each death and every day, witnesses the signs of the end of times.
We can face the end not by being fearful of these events, but by being faithful to Jesus’ good news about God’s kingdom. Preaching, teaching, and living in Jesus’ name is the one sure way to prepare for Jesus’ Second Coming and to secure eternal life. Jesus promised that his disciples would never meet their tribulations alone. We have the evidence of history that the good, faithful Christians have left us so abundantly, when their bodies were tortured and when they were awaiting death, of joyful and blessed times with Christ. Jesus trusted us enough to offer us not an easy way, but a way for totally dedicated disciples, a way for martyrdom. A prison can be like a palace, a cell like a throne, the storms of life like summer weather, when Christ is \with us. The man who walks with Christ may lose his life but he can never lose his soul.