Luke 21: 5-19
When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.
“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.
“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Christ Sits Alongside Us
More often than not, when we’re in need or trouble, we rely on those people who are willing to invest themselves in our struggle. We depend on and appreciate their presence, even if they can’t “solve all of our problems.”
Jesus tells us today that we are guaranteed to experience some suffering. It’s a scary concept that everyone lives. He doesn’t say he’s going to make it disappear – he assures us that, because of our inherent fragility, pieces and parts of us will be broken off. But the Gospel today and every day preaches the fact that Christ will enter into our reality, sit right alongside us in our mourning, and celebrate with us better than anyone when we’re on the other side. He promises to be present, to make himself known, to feel what we feel, to fight our same fight.
Glory and thanks be to God!
—Joe Ertle, SJ, is a Jesuit scholastic of the Midwest Province currently studying philosophy at the ITESO, a Jesuit university in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Prayer
God,
Help me to trust that today, you will reveal your care, compassion, and concern for me in some spectacular way: through the people around me, a “little victory,” a surprising sense of peace. And maybe more importantly, help me to pay attention throughout the day so as to notice you in that very moment – to realize that you long to be with me through thick and thin.
Amen.
—Joe Ertle, SJ
Pray with the Pope
Pray with the monthly prayer intentions of the pope.