24/11/2022 | Reflection 1650 | Fr Joy Mathew OP | Luke 21:20-28 || DMM
DO NOT DOWNLOAD THESE VIDEOS & RE-UPLOAD THEM ON OTHER CHANNELS. YOU CAN SHARE THE LINKS. Do support us to produce these videos. If you wish to support us in our mission to spread the Word of God, kindly write to us: [email protected] or drop a WhatsApp message: +91 7559384942 In today’s gospel we find a curious mix of the prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world. The first part, (verses 20-24,) clearly refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and the concluding part (25-28) clearly speaks of the second coming of the Lord. Someway it puts us face to face/ with the stark realities of life/: pain and suffering on the one hand; and meeting the Lord face to face on the other. On one side there is a warning/ and on the other hand/ there is a promise of consolation. Jesus is speaking with his disciples, and bracing them against disasters. If he were preaching now, he would perhaps speak of the atomic bomb, radiation, nuclear and ecological disasters, ballistic missiles, stinger missiles, and terrorist attacks. There are a lot of tragedies and catastrophe around us. Unfortunately, most of them are manmade. Many of them are the result of our own wrong doing: be it the result of the exploitation of the nature/ or human suffering that come about by not leading a life of integrity. Though the situation around the world or in the society, or in my own personal life is so grim, still everything is not so bad. Because Jesus says, ‘Do not lose heart.’ He seems to say, ‘God still directs human history and will bring good out of it – that is our redemption. Jesus says, “stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” These are words of great consolation. When the evil and suffering in the world tempt me to lose faith in God and in me, the words of Jesus would calm me because it brings me encouragement and consolation. Saint Thomas Aquinas says “God is so powerful and good/ that he would allow no evil in any of his works/ unless he could bring good out of it.” Sufferings and tribulations are part and parcel of living the Christian life to the full. But for those who try to live by the vision and values of the Gospel/, for those who have tried to seek and find Jesus in all events of their lives/, who have spent hours with him in intimate dialogue/ it is the time of final liberation. It is a time/ when there will be no more sorrows, no more tears, no more hardships, and no more disappointments. Rather, they will be entering an unbroken time of love and intimacy with God, a time of freedom and peace, of joy and consolation. Although we do not know when/, Jesus promises us that he will return ‘in power and great glory.’ It will not be an occasion for fear/ but of joy and pride for the righteous, for our redemption from the powers of evil has finally come. We are asked to hold our heads high/ in front of the Lord. We can stand erect/ and hold our heads high/ only if we have lived our life according to what the Lord has taught us. Let us pray/ that the inner peace/ that comes from the certainty/ that God’s saving presence is at work/ in the world and in the society, permeate my personal life. Like us on Facebook at / indiandominicans Website: www.dominicans.in #dominicanmediamission #DOMINICANFRIARSINDIA