Saints of God…
…the Lord be with you!
As we come to the end of the liturgical year, the readings this Sunday have, for the most part, an ominous tone with just a hint of hope. In the first reading taken from the Book of the Prophet Malachi (3: 19-20) the prophet warns his listeners that, “The day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set then on fire.” (YIKES!)
In today’s Gospel from Luke (21:5-19), Jesus says to those who are remarking on the beauty of the Temple, “All that you see here-the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” (Another YIKES!) You may be saying to yourself, “I thought the message is supposed to be Good News.” Well, it is. But sometimes you must be attentive and persistent enough to discover it. So where is the Good News in today’s readings?
Well first, the readings remind us that nothing in this life is permanent. Buildings may last a long time, but at some point, even the pyramids will crumble. At some point, we all will die; our bodies turned to dust or ashes. Our spirits/souls live on in because of God’s good grace, but at some point, no one alive in this world will remember us. Although cyclical, at some point, all liturgical seasons come to an end, only to give birth to another liturgical season and another new church year. Maybe the point is “at some point.”
Who are we called to be and what are we called to do until the “at some point” arrives? Ah, now we find the hope! Malachi writes that for those who fear (stand in awe of) the Lord there will arise the “sun of justice with its healing rays.” At the end of today’s Gospel Jesus says, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” Our collect (opening prayer) calls God the Father to grant us “constant gladness of being devoted to YOU (Father) and to serve with constancy the author of all that is good.” So, who should we be, and what should we be doing? Continue to be who you are in Christ. Continue to be Christ to one another, in your families, places of work and communities, and in the parish of Sacred Heart. Continue to minister to Christ by feeding the poor, being kind to the unhoused, being an usher at Mass, collecting or giving to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, helping Bikes from the Heart, serving with Hands of Hope, or Giving from the Heart, raising your voices in song by joining the choir…
There is so much we can do, and in the doing we will become more and more like Christ.
– Fr. Steve
