Tuesday,
November 26, 2013
1st Reading: Dm 2:31-45
Gospel: Lk 21:5-11
While some people were talking about the Temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, Jesus said to them, “The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.” And they asked him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”
Jesus then said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come claiming my title and saying: ‘I am he, the Messiah; the time is at hand.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, don’t be frightened; for all this must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.”
And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
According to W. Barclay in his “The Daily Study Bible”, this Gospel passage makes five important references to the following: the persecutions to come, the imminent fall of Jerusalem, the second coming of Christ, the day of the Lord, and the period of cleansing.
In regard to the persecutions to come Jesus did not mince words in telling them frankly that none of his followers will be spared from persecutions. Nonetheless, he assured them all of sufficient grace.
In regard to the imminent fall of Jerusalem the message is crystal clear: nothing is lasting in this world, not even the Temple that was considered indestructible for being God’s abode. This was destroyed in 70 A.D. With it came the siege of the Jewish people by the Roman armies.
The second coming of Christ is the context of the emergence of the false prophets mentioned in verses 27 and 28, while the Day of the Lord invites attention to how the Jews divided time into two ages, namely, the present age and the age to come. The present age is characterized by persecutions and the age to come is the period of vindication for the Jews. In between the two ages is the Day of the Lord characterized by the happenings of terrible things. The period of cleansing was to happen on the Day of the Lord. That is why Jesus gave this admonition: “When you hear of wars and troubled times don’t be frightened; for all this must happen first…”
The cost of following Jesus today is as high as in biblical times. But the reward remains priceless. How much are we willing to lose for this great prize? – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.
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