Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day

Our readings today are truly frightening, for they look ahead to the end of the world and the second coming of our Lord. Everything that the human race has achieved will come crashing down. Natural disasters and violent conflicts will erupt. The faithful will be persecuted, but will be vindicated in the end. While evildoers will be punished in the last days, the faithful will not be harmed. May this give us confidence as we look forward to an uncertain future.

Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word

The prophet Malachi sets the tone for today’s readings with his warning that one day the LORD will destroy all evildoers. Paul addresses the problem that some people, anticipating the end of the world, have stopped working and have become a burden. Jesus speaks of the persecution that awaits. But all three also give hope to those who are faithful, assuring them that they will not be harmed. As we listen to today’s readings, let us consider how we can work to increase the number of those who will receive the Son’s healing rays.

Reflections

“The day is coming,” Malachi prophesied (3:19). “The days will come,” Jesus warned (Luke 21:6). Sometimes it feels like the days they anticipated are right around the corner. A pandemic, political and civil unrest, global warming, natural disasters—a warning that the end of the world has arrived doesn’t seem so far-fetched. Yet it wouldn’t have been a surprise a year ago either . . . or at various other points over the last few years. So when we hear someone say, “The time has come,” recall Jesus’ words of wisdom: “Do not follow them!” (21:8). There will always be those who will exploit fear for their own ends, who will vilify whoever opposes them, who will try to divide us from each other, and who will insist that they alone know the truth. Do not follow them! No, we know whom we can trust and always follow. And, as the one who is the way and the truth and the life assured us, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives” (21:19).

• Did Jesus foresee the actual destruction of the temple, which occurred just a few decades later when the Roman army recaptured the city of Jerusalem? Or did he simply realize that nothing built by humans was destined to last forever? Indeed, the kind of time Jesus speaks of here is kairos, not chronos. The signs will come at a decisive moment in time (kairos), not in sequence during a stretch of chronological time (chronos). We should not be thinking of the end as a time that’s approaching like the stroke of midnight. It is a time that comes when it comes: inevitably, yes, but unpredictably, like a thief in the night.

• So what do we do? Shrivel up in despair, afraid to act? Loaf like those in the second reading, blaming the futility of building anything that will last? No, we are called to act with urgency, persevering in the mission of a disciple, working to bring the reign of God to fruition in our imperfect world.

Question of the Week

Can I take the urgency of not knowing when the end times will come for me or for the world and channel it to do something good? What practical thing can I do this week to help carry out Jesus’ mission?

-from Pastoral Patterns

LISTEN HERE to the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, November 13,, 2022

SELECT HERE for the Readings of Sunday, November 13, 2022

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