The signs of the end

Gospel Reading: Lk 21:5-11

WHILE some peo­ple were speak­ing about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “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.”

Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must hap­pen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

REFLECTIONS: What sign will there be…?

The people ask Jesus this ques­tion when he says that the Temple will be destroyed. They wonder when it is going to happen. The temple structure is massive. The stones are huge. They cannot be moved with­out heavy equipment. But Jesus de­clares, “There will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Jesus warns the people. They should not be deceived by those who claim, “I am he” (the Messiah). The portents are wars and rebellions, earthquakes, famines, and plagues. In the sky they will see many unusual things.

In other words, Jesus does not di­rectly answer the question. At this point, we must rest content to take hold of our faith. We follow Christ, not his pretenders. Many will lead us astray if we are not discerning. We have to know our faith better so that we do not fall away from our community that is supposed to support us.

Millenniarists abound in our times. They claim they know precisely the signs and the time when the destruc­tion is coming. They interpret the tsunamis, the armed conflicts, the migrations, and the climate change as signs of the end. We can be saved only when we join their group. Let us not allow them to mislead us.

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We can stand firm in our faith if we are firmly rooted in Christ and in his Church, the community of believers.

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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.