Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 23, 2021
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.”
When I was younger, I had a voracious appetite for books. The problem was that I never wanted anything bad (or mildly uncomfortable) to happen to the characters I grew to love, even if they eventually achieved their happy endings.
When Bilbo got separated from the dwarves and lost in Gollum’s cave in The Hobbit, I was terrified. When Harry and Hermione were caught by Filch as they delivered a baby dragon to safety after curfew, and their escapade cost them and all of their a classmates a hundred house points, I was in agony. Why couldn’t stories just play out smoothly without all the distressing drama?
Today’s gospel reading is one of those storylines that makes me want to flip to a more comforting page of Scripture. Nations at war with nations? Earthquakes and plagues and famines? No stone will be left on stone? No thanks.
But whether we choose to accept it or not, Jesus is confronting us with reality—with the cost of being a fallen people in a broken world. The battles in life are a guarantee, and we aren’t doing ourselves any favors if we try to bury our heads in the sand.
I invite you to face the reality of this reading: As Christians standing firm in our witness to Christ’s radical message of love and hope, we will be persecuted as nation wars against nation. Sit in the discomfort of that truth with me, and then heed Jesus’ instruction “not be terrified.” While terrifying things will indeed happen, our King already has conquered death. Our Lord already has written the happy ending.
We must ask for the faith to trust him until we reach the last page of our story.
Prayer
Lord, today you warn us to not be deceived by those who pretend to come in your name. In our world, we have many who speak as if they know all that is to be known. We may even be confused by the conflicting claims we hear each day. Let us have the wisdom to listen to Your words, Your voice that resonates deep within us. We pray this to you Our God, forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Clement I was the fourth pope to lead the Roman Church. Clement was a follower of St. Peter and potentially even St. Paul. Clement is famous for his letter to the Corinthians, the community which received two of Paul's most famous letters. Clement's letter is written in response to a schism in the community in Corinth but we know little else about this pope from historical records.
According to ancient legend, however, the Roman populace rioted to have Christians expelled, and Clement, as the Bishop of Rome, was expelled to work in a marble quarry. There were many Christians who were forced to work there, and Clement encouraged and supported them.
The guards at the quarry noticed that he was converting many of his fellow workers to Christianity. Subsequently, Clement was ordered to be executed by drowning. An anchor was tied around his neck and Clement was thrown into the sea.
In the letter to the Corinthians, Clement writes:
"Beloved, how blessed and wonderful are God's gifts! There is life everlasting, joy in righteousness, truth in freedom, faith, confidence, and self-control in holiness. And these are the gifts that we can comprehend; what of all the others that are being prepared for those who look to him. Only the Creator, the Father of the ages, the all-holy, knows their grandeur and their loveliness."
Clement I is a patron saint of those who work on the water and of marble workers. Some of his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on campus.
Pope St. Clement, pope and patron saint of those who work on the water—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Pope St. Clement I is in the public domain. Last accessed October 18, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
