Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
These are the last weeks of the liturgical year, and we know that apocalyptic scripture readings – like the ones we have today – have both liturgical and existential meaning. I am not going to spend time on introductory material today. Here are my three practical implications.
Hope Amidst Terror
It seems truly amazing to me that as Jesus describes the terrifying details of the destruction of the world, Jesus also says to his disciples, “Do not be terrified!” (Lk 21:9) Does Jesus really expect us not to be terrified? Jesus himself was terrified in the garden of Gethsemane. If you ever have had a health scare, or lost your job, or lost a child, or been in a natural disaster… you know the meaning of terror.
Some historical context is crucial to understand Jesus words. The gospel of Luke was written after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. For the Jewish people, it did feel like the end of the world. For the early Christians, many of whom were Jewish Christians, there was the added terror of persecution. In this context, Luke’s intention in writing, “Do not be terrified,” was to assure his readers that even the most terrifying moments are not bereft of hope.
We see this assurance in today’s first reading as well. Even as Malachi proclaims, “Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven” (Mal 3:19), he underscores this warning with hope. He says, “But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays” (Mal 3:20). Even the darkest night leads to a rising sun. Luke, however, was even more concrete reason for hope than Malachi. Luke’s point of reference was the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ persecution, suffering, and death was followed by the Resurrection. Darkness was overcome by the light. The despair of the tomb was replaced by the hope of new life. As Luke’s readers face their own tribulations, he reminded them of the supreme example of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ experience and victory is the hope of every believer.
And this is our hope as well. Even the darkest moment is not bereft of hope. Even when life ends in death, Jesus’ death and resurrection becomes our hope.
The Power of Perseverance
The fact that persecution was a major concern becomes more and more obvious as we reach the end of today’s gospel reading. The scene that Luke describes of Christians being dragged before synagogues, kings, governors, and betrayal by family members often resulting in death, was not a hypothetical situation. Luke was describing the actual ground reality of his times.
Against such atrocities, Luke does not let his readers flounder. He proposes a specific Christian response. His response was, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives” (Lk 21:19).
The plain English dictionary meaning of perseverance is “not giving up.” Luke’s meaning of perseverance does not come from a dictionary but from his faith-experience. His meaning of perseverance is drawn from the life of Jesus. Jesus faced the very tribulations that the early Christians faced, and Luke was exhorting them to face them like Jesus did. Jesus faced his suffering, crucifixion, and death with faith. Against all odds, at the very last breath, Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!” (LK 23:46) That is how Jesus secured his life. The resurrection was the fruit of perseverance.
Even though we do not face persecution like the early Christians did, or live in the imminent danger of an apocalypse, it is not common for our lives to be thrown into disarray. Sometimes it does feel like it is the end of the world. For these moments, Luke proposes perseverance. This means more that ‘not giving up’. It means that during tribulations, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection becomes our reference point.
Three steps to Perseverance
Since Luke presents Jesus as the model of perseverance, let us reflect on ways we can develop Jesus’ perseverance.
- Jesus’ entire ministry began with prayer. He spent forty days in prayer in the desert before he launched his ministry. Once he began his ministry, he often pulled himself away from the crowd and his disciples to pray. His prayer gave him intimacy with his Father. In his darkest moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed to his Father. In fact, his whole life, including his death on the cross became a prayer to his Father. To have Jesus-like-perseverance we need Jesus-like-prayer!
- Focus on Destiny and Origin. Jesus always kept his origin and destiny in view. He often spoke about where he came from and where he was going. In his vulnerable moments, he was aware of his origin, his purpose, his goal, and his destiny. Especially when we are vulnerable, when darkness surrounds us, we too must remember that God is our origin and God is our destiny. As Jesus reminds us today, “Every hair on our head is accounted for” (Lk 15:18).
- Loving and Doing Good. The above two steps are internal dispositions. These internal dispositions need external actions to keep us focused on perseverance. There are two things Jesus never stopped doing even in the critical moments of his life – loving others and doing good. All his life he did good and nothing but good. And even from the cross he never stopped loving and doing good. He forgave his murders and found a way to welcome a crucified criminal into enter paradise (Lk 23:43). The best way to persevere is to never stop doing good in genuine love. Jesus is our model.
“By your perseverance you will secure your lives!” Today as we celebrate this Eucharist, we bring our world, our families, our lives before Christ. This Eucharist which celebrates he death and resurrection of Jesus is of hope. By this Eucharist we persevere!
- Fr. Satish Joseph