33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C)

1st Reading                 Malachi 4:1-2a

Psalm                           98:5-6,7-9ab,9bc (R. cf. 9cd)

R:// "The Lord comes to judge the peoples with fairness"

2nd Reading             2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Gospel                        Luke 21:5-19

STAND UNSHAKEN AT THE FINAL HOUR

Peace and Goodness, Friends! Today is the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). We should remind ourselves that there are 34 Sundays in the Liturgical Year. Arriving on the 33rd Sunday means that next Sunday is the end of the liturgical year, the Solemnity of Christ the King. Today is the penultimate Sunday of the Church's year. From all dimensions, we are near the end of the year. We shall then tailor our thoughts from the readings of today on the issue of the end. 

The first reading is from Malachi 4: 1-2a. It is a very short but densed passage. It is interesting that we are reading from Malachi. The issue is that Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament. In fact, we are rending from the last chapter of Malachi. These two preliminary considerations augment our thoughts on issues about the end. The Gospel passage is also from Luke 21:5-19. What is interesting is that for a very long time, we have been reading about Jesus and his disciples journeying from Galilee and headed to Jerusalem. This Sunday brings that journey to an end. They have arrived. Additionally, Luke has 24 chapters, and chapter 21 ends Jesus' public ministry. Whatever happens from Chapter 22 to 24 is about the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We see the issue of the end that we speak about is reflected in the books and chapters of the said books we are reading from. 

What does the first reading bring to the table? I want to suggest that we critically consider the word "DAY" (yôm) It is the "Day of the Lord" (Yôm Adonai). The word appears twice in verse 1 alone. What about "DAY"? I think that we should go back to Genesis 1, where "day" appears repeatedly. However, in Genesis 1:3, in creating light, called the light "Day." What is happening is that the "Day" is not just an occurrence, but with its image of light, the creator can see clearly and make a good separation. The "Day of the Lord" is the day of separation, of judgment. I think we see that clear separation in the mention of "the arrogant and evildoers" and "those who fear my [God's] name." 

The arrogant and the evildoers be "stubble." The Hebrew word translated as "stubble" is "קשׁ" (kesh). This is the same word for "chaff." The chaff is the dry, scaly, or husky parts of grain, like wheat or barley, that are separated from the grain during threshing or warring. The chaff is burnt. It is the image of worthlessness. What troubles is that these people will be "burnt", treated as worthless to the extent that neither their root nor branch shall remain. They and their generations shall be wiped away. That is how severe the separation on the Lord's Day is going to be. Without a doubt, we can glimpse what happens to the righteous.

What does the Gospel offer us? I think the Gospel gives us what to do so that we are not classified to be treated as "chaff". This has to do with three areas where we shall be tested. At every end, there is a test. It is when we endure these tests that we gain our lives (Lk. 21: 5-19).

The first is the test of principles and faith. Some admired the beauty of magnificence of the Temple. Jesus said, it shall be destroyed. In fact, the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD by the Roman Empire. I think that is where the first test lies. Admiring the externalities of the Temple is not a problem. One real problem is whether the beauty of the Temple has been effected in the life of the believer so much so that even when it is destroyed, the believer can still live the reality of the Temple unshaken. Can you still stand by your principles and  faith even when you are robbed of the external motivation? Have you internalised the beauty of what you see? When you can no longer be externally motivated, ensure that you stand by your principles of faith borne out of your docility to the influence of the beauty of the Temple.

The second test aligns within a social dimension. This ranges from persecution to being alienated from your familiar social setting. The natural tendency is to defer to their sides because they seemingly appear to be in the opposition. The issue of "if you cannot beat them, join them" will ring loudly. Be careful to stand your ground. Persevere. Jesus says, "This will be a time to bear testimony" (Lk. 21: 13). What interests us is the word TESTIMONY. It is rendered beautifully in the original Greek as "μαρτύριον" (martyrion). That is the word from which we derive the English word "Martyr". This is a person who witnesses to his or her faith in word and deed. Sometimes, these people die for what they stand for. Even when socially you are tested by persecution and handed over by people you least expect, ensure that you are a martyr. Martyrdom will grant you admittance  into the rank of the righteous.

The third point of testing regards our process of discernment and trusting. It is relatively easy to stay true to the principles of your faith and even attempt to be a martyr to those principles in the face of being thrown into minority by persecution and neglect. A hard consideration is to know exactly what you are standing for. In the wake of high expectations, it is easy to be swayed by utterance. Jesus clearly said, "Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is at hand" (Lk. 21: 8). The solution is "Take heed that you are not led astray...Do not go after them". The one who has the authority to say "the time is at hand" is a prophet or Jesus himself. This suggests that in the end, there will be people claiming an authority that has not been granted them. The line between what is genuine and what is fake is very thin. Your fidelity to your source of knowing the truth and acting upon it will also be tested. Your source should be the Word of God and imitation of the example of the Apostles, their life, and teachings as seen in the 2nd Reading from 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12.

Pax et Bonum