XXXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
CHRISTIAN ESCHATOLOGY
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jimenez
We are in the second to last Sunday of the Liturgical Year. The readings seem to be apocalyptic. The apocalyptic genre distinguishes itself through catastrophic events in nature, heralding the end of the world. But the readings from today are of eschatological genre, which fills us with hope for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The first reading says: “Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.” (Mal 3: 19a, 20) We should note that the expression of a devouring fire recalls the consequences of a war, because everything is destroyed by fire. But it also reminds us of the fire that never goes out (the gehenna). These images built around fire are signs and images of the judgment that God will dictate against unfaithful humanity. Of course, all these images have a pedagogical purpose and were chosen to instruct a simple-minded people who needed the visualization of everything to understand the content. Human history is moving towards an end point in which there will be a total transformation into purification.
In the gospel we hear the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem as an anticipation of the destruction of the whole world. “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.’” (Lk 21: 5-6) This reading is centered on announcing the end of everything, but as a preparation for the reception of the King who will come back to judge everything. The temple of Jerusalem was built by Herod the Great. It was a construction of immense proportions. Herod liked solid, monumental, and brilliant constructions throughout his kingdom, and even beyond his borders to please the Romans. There are, even now, remains that can still be seen in Jerusalem that prove it. The word of God affirms that this world has an unforeseen ending.
“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.” (Lk 21: 8-9). The messianic task of Jesus fits into the plan of God in which there was no enthronement of the Messiah as a military warrior. He is not a victorious King who will throw out the enemies and pagans from the holy land to establish a temporary reign having Jerusalem as its capital and center as people were expecting. But even at the time of Jesus there were false messiahs who claimed to be the true Messiah. If that happened in Jesus’ time, having him in their midst, imagine now!
The gospel of Saint Luke was written after the destruction of Jerusalem. That’s why his warning to be alert and not to get carried away or be seduced by the first person that comes along was much stronger. The end is reserved in secret by the Father, and not even Jesus himself knows. Meanwhile we need to give of ourselves completely to the task and mission of evangelizing the world, motivated by a great hope. Saint Luke understood that turning to the Lord would bear fruit over time. In the meantime we should prepare ourselves with patience and tenacious endurance and be determined collaborators who are inseparable from Christian hope.
Eschatology is an attitude of witness and patient endurance until the end. The great promise during this time of waiting is: “Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.” (Lk 21: 14-15) Today we need this presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit so that we disciples can move forward in our work as witnesses in the world. May God grant us his Holy Spirit during our time of waiting so that we never grow weary in giving our testimony of faith and love for our brothers and sisters.