By Luke 21:20-28
Jesus said to his disciples: "When you see Jerusalem
surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand. Then those in Judea
must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let
those in the countryside not enter the city, for these days are the time of
punishment when all the scriptures are fulfilled. Woe to pregnant women and
nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the
sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be
trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are
fulfilled. "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and
on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the
waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the
world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the
Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs
begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at
hand."
* * *
Introductory Prayer: Jesus my Savior, thank you for another
day and another chance to grow in holiness with your grace. I love you and wish
to make you the true center of my thoughts, desires and actions.
Petition: Lord,
give me a healthy but realistic Christian optimism.
1. Desolation
at Hand: What a grim Gospel passage! Lots of talk
of armies and calamity and roaring seas. Jesus is speaking of the coming
destruction of Jerusalem (in A.D. 70) as well as images of the end times In our
day we can think of wars, terrorism, floods and wonder why the world is such a
nasty place sometimes. Why can´t life be easier? Why do so many innocent people
suffer? Alas, Our Lord asked the same questions. All the evil we see springs
from original sin, from the fall of Adam. It wasn´t God´s plan to have all this
suffering--but he allows it. He allows it because he respects our freedom. He allows
it too because he knows he can bring good out of it. How do I use my freedom?
Do I have enough faith in Christ to be optimistic?
2. Trampled
Underfoot: The fall of Jerusalem didn´t mean that
God abandoned the world. True, the focus of religion would no longer be the
Temple; rather, it would be a new focus: Christ, truly present in the
Eucharist. The tabernacle would be the new center of attention. How few souls
grasp that truth! After 2,000 years, Jesus is still humble, allowing himself to
be kept in a tabernacle. Does that fact influence the way I act in a church?
Does it affect the way I dress when going to church? Do I try to enter church
with the proper state of heart and mind?
3. Redemption
at Hand: Faithful following of Christ gives us the
best assurance that our lives have meaning. Christ will make sense of
everything at the end of our lives. All our struggles to live the Gospel will
be worth it. On the last day we might regret many things, but we will never
regret the things we did for Christ. Does that truth guide our lives each day?
Do we live each day as if it were our last? What is there in my life that I
would be ashamed of on the last day? Why not weed it out of my life now?
Conversation
with Christ
Lord, help me to judge the things of my daily life against eternity. Let me
see things with your eyes. Let me see what is really valuable and what is
fleeting. And help me to act accordingly.
Resolution: I will make a
fresh effort to get rid of the biggest vice in my life