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?”… Jesus said: “(It’ll come) When you hear of wars and insurrections, (but) do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end…Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against king- dom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place…awesome sights and mighty signs (which) will come from the sky...Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you… (for) you will be hated (by the world) because of My Name.”
Homily
In the face of some ominous times, borrow some of the prayers at Mass for use as your personal ones. Such as: “Blessed be God forever.” Another is “Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.” A third one is “Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of The Lord, Hosanna in the Highest to Jesus!” Or, pray: “Glory to You, O Lord.” Or in the face of challenge and uncertainty, pray, again, like we do at Mass: “Our Father, Who are in Heaven, hallowed by Thy Name.”
Get these prayers in circular with your everyday conversation with God. Get into more of praising God’s Name. If a hardship has come, then answer it with prayer and praise. It’s what you need to do. The Mass and its prayers certainly are doing so—right in the face of the world’s situation at hand. Take such phrases into your daily struggles or joys. If you are laid off, then say: “Holy Holy Holy Lord, God of Hosts –I praise You.”
In our past Friday night Anniversary Holy Hour of Thanksgiving, we had a beautiful testimony of someone who said that for her recent lay-off from work, she joined daily Mass and made those prayers her own praise, and said: No matter the hard situation. I am still going to praise you, Lord!
This ties in to the “end times” Gospel today. It also ties in with the 98th Psalm.
Jesus says that, in the end, there will be people persecuting the Church, and what will be their reason for it? It’ll be because of The Name of The One we profess as Lord of All and of our very lives. Jesus says that people will look to seize God’s own flock, they will hate us for our allegiance and identification with Jesus. Yet we are to be praising, even when others are hell-raising. So says Jesus Christ in this Gospel about the end times. It will be time for us to give our testimony—Luke 21:12-13. “They will seize and persecute you…because of My Name. It will lead to your giving testimony.”
Luke’s Gospel originally was heard by Jesus’ followers of apostles and disciples. It then did come about that the First Church and the first three centuries of Christianity came up against much opposition and persecution. But this Gospel is not just a looking back Word. It is meant for you and me. What is your praise testimony of loving God and in Christ’ Church right in the face of all this nonsense, foolishness and disturbance going on in our present time? Do you people notice you: Hey, look, a real believer in God in these days! Look at the devoted person to Christ and His Church!
I encourage us all to be those witnesses of people in praise to God.
Listen to Psalm 98 It urges us to Sing Praise to our God… to join in with the seas and the rivers sounding forth their life, as well as for us to be joyfully standing like the mountains for the Creator.
That is good, wise advice! ‘See how it fits in to the theme? As when the end times does eventually come, will you meet it in praise of God as your witness to the world? Luke 21 today is an echo of what was in Luke 18:8, and that question of Jesus: “When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?”
That’s the homily.
Yet we have a little time more to walk into this ominous Gospel section of Luke 18 through Luke 21. I will weave together and spiritually paraphrase the words of Jesus of these four Lukan chapters of such high drama. Imagine yourself as a disciple traveling in with Him into the Temple back then, and you hear your Good Teacher say:
The Son of Man can prophetically see the hardships to come, the things torn down—even as such this large Temple building. I see wars, insurrections, earthquakes, famine, plagues ahead. But I see you, still living through it in My Name, persevering in your testimony and your actions. By it you will secure your lives. It makes Your Master glad.
I see the things of people doing their “extra” for Me. I appreciate the widow who generously puts in all her coins into the Temple offering….as well as of the people bringing their children to Me… I love that supposed crazy guy Zack climbing the tree just to catch My passing by, that one who others had mocked, but then it was he and his household who gave all to following Me. What else does the Rabbi see? I notice that the blind beggar who got healed at the gate by Me—and how they have not stopped in their glorifying God ever since, and they have got others praising God all the more. I see it and how it goes in contrast to the rich official whom you saw Me meet, that man with conditions on everything, and who did not have His First Commandment Love for the Lord God in order, but let other priorities take precedent. You saw him wander off sadly, choosing himself over The Son of God.
I, the Lord, at my entry in to Jerusalem (Luke 19:28) saw how the humbled person at the synagogue was marching with us as he proclaimed in the streets “Blessed is the king who comes in the Name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” He is the image of the End Times’ person marching into the New Jerusalem in high praise and in testimony of the redeemed heart.