In these final Sundays of the liturgical year, the Church invites us to meditate on the four last things: Death, Judgement, Heaven & Hell and prepare to meet our Saviour.
In the first reading the prophet Malachi speaks in graphic terms about the coming days. The final coming will come like a burning furnace, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be like stubble. But the just and friends of the Lord have no need to fear.
In the second reading St Paul urges the Thessalonians and us to use the gifts of mind and body which God has given us. So don’t we lazy because one day we will have to render an account of how we have made us of our gifts and talents. Sloth leads to an erosion of character and opens the door to many temptations. As the old saying goes: the devil makes work for idle hands.
In the Gospel the Apostles would have been shocked, after admiring the beautiful Temple in Jerusalem to hear Jesus say:
All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.
In the Old Testament, the Temple in Jerusalem was one of the ways to the approach the Heavenly Father. In the New Testament Jesus is the Way to approach the Father. He is the Way, Truth and Life. When Jesus inaugurated the New Covenant by his death on the Cross, the Temple in Jerusalem was superseded. This is why the curtain in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom when Jesus died on the Cross. Four decades later in 70 AD the Temple in Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the Romans, as Jesus prophesied and has never been rebuilt. Some attempts at rebuilding were made in the early centuries but they all failed in mysterious and strange ways. The Temple could not be rebuilt because it was the Old Covenant and since the time of the Christ-Event we are all in the New Covenant.
Our life on earth is short and our encounter with Jesus is close. We should be detached and have our eyes set on Heaven, which is our ultimate and permanent Homeland. But at the same time, keep our feet planted upon the earth. Holiness is our common vocation, and it means to have our wills united to the Divine Will in good times and in bad and persevere and His friendship. As Jesus said:
Your endurance will win you your lives.
We will all experience storms in our lives, which God permits for us to grow spiritually. These maybe: Sickness, persecution, division or financial hardship. In some countries Catholics and Christians in general face open persecution. The World Watch list 2025 from Open Doors says that 380 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. The countries with extreme levels of persecution are: North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Eritrea & Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Saudi Arabia. One in seven believers worldwide face open persecution for their faith. There are more murders of Christians in Nigeria though than all other countries combined. It is an eye-opener to have a look at the Open Doors website: https://www.opendoors.org/en-
Thus, many Christians are still experiencing what the Apostles faced in spreading the Gospel. However, in Australia we don’t experience open persecution, but some professionals, for example doctors and nurses have paid the price for remaining faithful and refusing to act contrary to their Catholic Faith. This may include refusing to perform or assist with abortions or assisted suicide. A concerning trend in Australia and most western countries is the increasing number of people who tick: No Religion on the Government Census forms. If people don’t pray that lose their Faith completely. The Scriptures predict the coming reign of an Anti-Christ and the final assault of evil. So, in the future before things get better, they will probably get a lot worse. We may even have to pay the ultimate price for our Faith.
We are still in the time of mercy, the time to grow stronger in our Faith, through being assiduous in praying the Holy Rosary, attending Weekday Mass where possible, doing a holy hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament, monthly Confession and spiritual reading. Then no matter what happens we will be ready.
It reminds me of a story, which took place before the break-up of the Soviet Union. Christians of all denominations were routinely persecuted for their Faith by the Communist Regime. Catholics would gather in house churches. They would arrive at different times to avoid suspicion. One Sunday a group of Catholics were all safely inside, the curtains drawn and doors locked as they sung and prayed. Suddenly, the door burst open and two armed soldiers crashed in. Everybody up against the wall, the soldiers shouted. The soldiers then said:
If you renounce your Faith in Jesus Christ, you can leave now, and no harm will come to you.
Two left then a third straggled out.
This is your last chance, the soldiers warned. Either turn your back on this Jesus of yours or stay and suffer the consequences.
Two more slipped out, crying and ashamed. No one else moved. Parents with small children trembling beside them looked down reassuringly. They fully expected to be gunned down on the spot, or at least imprisoned. After a few moments of silence, the soldiers closed the door. One of them said,
Keep your hands up – but this time in praise of our Lord Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters. We too, are Christians. We were sent to another house church like this several weeks ago, and we became believers. The other soldier added: We are sorry to have frightened those who left, but we have learned that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted.
In times of trouble our faith is tested, and we have a chance to do for Christ, what He did for us: Love Him to the end. …Your endurance will win you your lives. Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever.