33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Malachi 3:19–20a
Psalm 98:5–6, 7–8, 9
2 Thessalonians 3:7–12
Luke 21:5–19
One of the sights in the Holy Land that deeply moves a person of faith is the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Day and night people pray facing the wall and placing petitions on slips of paper into the cracks of the wall.
Since the visit of Pope St. Paul VI to the Holy Land in 1964, other modern popes have stood by this wall in silent prayer, joining pilgrims of many faiths.
Today’s Gospel puts us with “the first pope,” St. Peter, and the rest of Jesus’ disciples at this same location. Some of the stones they looked upon and passed by daily remain for us to see today. Jesus tells His followers: “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.”
The temple itself is gone, and no one is quite certain just where on the Temple Mount it used to stand, so complete was the Roman destruction in A.D. 70. But portions of the surrounding wall on the western side of the mount still serve as a call to prayer.
To the south of the famous wall seen by most pilgrims more sections of the wall are being excavated. It is heartening to see Jewish pilgrims standing on the street near those sections to pray. They cannot stand next to the wall, but they attend to it with the same prayerful gestures.
Mourning the destruction of the temple is a theme carried through many rituals throughout the ages. Psalms and lamentations tug at the human heart and help us realize that we are not alone in feeling the pangs of such loss.
Facing the reality of loss is a necessary step toward healing. We must acknowledge our pain and accept the limits that are made clear by the sorrows of the human condition. When we anticipate loss, we must look inside to find the strength to go through the experience.
Jesus encourages His disciples, inviting them to seek such strength: “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” He does not give them details about all that will occur. He will not tell them when it will happen, offering only a general description of events that continue in our time.
Perseverance offers “security” for our lives. Jesus also promises that in the face of all that happens, there will be a wisdom that He will supply amid the experience: “I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.”
The text of Malachi, which appears as the last of the prophetic books in our canon, proclaims a word of hope and healing: “But for you who fear my name there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.” The psalmist concurs: “The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.”
Anyone who has experienced trauma and loss who has managed to persevere will readily recognize the truth expressed here. By endurance, we learn that even in earthly life we discover hidden strength through our struggles.
When the temple is destroyed, the Spirit Who filled the temple remains. Jesus Himself is in us and with us to address our adversaries. Healing comes, and there is a new light of understanding, both of ourselves and of others. Having persevered, we become secure in our own persons, and we can be models for others of the way to find hope for themselves.
The liturgical year is coming to its close. Next week, we will celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, and then Advent will usher in a new year. The Gospel of Luke has offered us a vision of mercy and compassion. May we persevere in faith, hope and love.