34TH TUESDAY HOMILY OF ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
34TH TUESDAY HOMILY OF ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: “DO NOT BE TERRIFIED.”
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “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.”
Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.
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The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple took place in the year 70 A.D. To the many Jews who witnessed this great devastation, it must have seemed like the end of their world. Without their Temple, what kind of life are they to live? Without the House of God, where can they worship and offer sacrifices?
Jesus has already foreseen this calamity forty years earlier. The Gospel today is His prediction of this tragic event. While people are looking at the magnificent Temple with awe and admiration, commenting on how it is adorned with precious jewels and votive offerings, Jesus declares: “The days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”
They asked, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” One can notice the cynicism and sarcasm behind these questions, for in their mind the words of Jesus are simply unrealistic and even ridiculous. It took forty years to build such a huge and elaborate structure, and they simply could not imagine the possibility of it being destroyed. In response, Jesus does not give a direct answer. Instead, He directs His answer more to the end of time than to the actual destruction of the Temple.
Generally, the early Christians were expecting the Second Coming of Jesus within their lifetime. During those times Apocalyptic writings and discourses abound. One such example is the Gospel today. It is part of the long Apocalyptic Discourse of Jesus. This is the theme of the readings as we end the liturgical year.
The primary purpose of this discourse is to animate and strengthen the faith and hope of Christians undergoing persecutions. It offers signs to increase their hope in the presence and protection of God and in their final victory. It is meant to help them discern the signs of the times so that they may not be deceived. There are many people, especially false prophets, who claim to know something about the end. Jesus tells His followers not to be too quick to believe what they say: “Do not follow them.” Nor are they to be too alarmed when they hear of wars and insurrections, natural calamities, diseases and plagues and mighty signs from the sky.
Nowadays, we hear many people talking about the end of the world. It is true that the world has its end. St. Paul said that: “For the world in its present form is passing away” (1Cor 7:31). But the Lord insists: “Do not be terrified.” The terrible things described in today’s Gospel have already happened and are still happening now all over the world. There is nothing new. Yet these do not necessarily mean the end has come: “Such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.”
Moreover, we should not be too anxious about the ‘when’ and ‘how’ of the end. Rather, we remind ourselves that we are just pilgrims in this world, journeying towards our eternal home in heaven. Hence, talks about the end should be seen as the coming of the era for new beginnings that St. John refers to as the ‘new heavens and a new earth.’
Similarly, talks about death, our inevitable departure from this world, may be frightening to some people. But again fear and anxiety do us nothing good. Rather we should live each day to the full, making it truly productive for others and for ourselves. As the famous American writer, Mark Twain, points out, “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
In closing, let the words of St. Therese of Lisieux fill us with deep consolation and courage: “It is not Death that will come to fetch me, it is the good God. Death is no phantom, no horrible specter, as presented in pictures. In the catechism it is stated that death is the separation of soul and body, that is all! Well, I am not afraid of a separation which will unite me to the good God forever.”
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