Thirty-Third Sunday of Year C
Perseverance In Justice and
Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufokobong
§ Mal 3:19-20a;
§ Ps 98: 5-9;
§ 2 Thess 3:7-12
§ Luke 21:5-19
The readings of
today offer us hope and perseverance. Prayer, orderliness, simple life style,
trusts in God and practice of justice and righteousness are sources of security
as well as a prosperous future and joy, even in the face of persecution and
seeming hopelessness.
The returnees from
exile- - the Israelite community optimistically sought for these sources of
security in the New Jerusalem they had returned to rebuild. But what they saw was
still a deeply divided community. They saw a community plagued with rift,
social injustice and disorderliness. Power politics, despair and hopeless had
also taken root. Many of the post-exilic prophets Haggai, Zechariah,
Trito-Isaiah (56–66) and Malachi, today's first reading have all addressed
these.
Some of these
prophets were even critical of the Temple and the priests since there was
absence of proper worship that takes cognizance of people’s daily living.
There were also lingering problems that Ezra- Nehemiah had face. The problem of
who should be included in the New Jerusalem: foreigners, everyone or a selected
few or what the new community should look like? Tithes and offerings were
abused while justice and righteousness were nowhere to be found in this newly
reconstructed Jerusalem Temple.
Malachi in
particular preaches hope and perseverance to disillusioned members of this
divided community especially those who trust in the Lord. He says, “For those
who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays”
(Mal 3:20).
For the followers
of Christ who face similar challenges at every time and place, and culture,
their security should never have to be placed any longer in physical
Temple but in Christ Jesus who is the New Temple, because as was the case in
history a time came as we heard in today’s Gospel when the physical Temple was
no longer there (Luke 21:5-6).
Christ's message
in today’s Gospel remains important because when he is gone, his disciples
and many of us would face persecutions, hardships, trials, divisions, confusions, uncertainties,
temptations and contradictions, as it was in the community of Prophet Malachi.
But just as Malachi, God's messenger assured Israel of the help of the sun of
justice, the Lukan Jesus, as he journeys to Jerusalem assures his followers of God’s assistance with the
spirit of perseverance in moments of such trials and persecutions. For as
rightly marked Luke 4 he came for the poor, for those in prison and for the
persecuted.
Each of us in our
ways at different times may have had our own moments of these trials, fears,
temptation, despair, frustration, tragedy, loss of our loved ones, hurricane
tsunami, sandy, typhoon, violent cause by war, terrorism and inordinate
use of guns and fire and natural tragedies. Many have also experienced poverty,
hunger, illnesses, racism, and ignorance, lack of proper education, dysfunctional,
corrupt, unstable government, discrimination, joblessness and discrimination.
In such moments
what do we do? To whom do we go; to the physical temple which is never
permanent or to Christ the permanent Temple? Paul gives us a soothing
suggestion in the Second Reading. He presents himself as a model to imitate (2
Thess 3:7-12). Hard work, simplicity of life, prayer, pursuit of justice and
righteous acts, integrity, honesty, hope, courage, trust in God will enable
each of us handle hardship and difficult situations with a discerning spirit of
perseverance, knowing that, Christ, the sun of righteousness is constantly
watching and shinning over us.
Reflection Questions
1.
What lessons have we gathered from today’s scripture
readings?
2.
Are we faithful and hopeful Christians in moments of
trials and persecution?
What
prevents from practicing justice and pursuing
