33rd Sunday of the Year C Theme Our Future 17-11-13

33rd Sunday in the Ordinary Time Year C Theme: Our Future 17-11-2013 1st Reading Mal 3:19-20b God will spare the Faithful at End Time. 2nd Reading 2nd Thess 3:7-12 Misconception of End time People of Thessalonica abandon their jobs and wait for the end. Gospel Lk 21:5-19 Jesus foretells the End time and the trials to come. When we are here on earth we have noticed how things move. We go to a movie we are eager to know what would be the end of the movie. When we read a book or a novel or a story often we see what is the end of the story, novel and the book. Some of us even look at the end and read the end part first and then the beginning. This is the human nature which is eager to know its’ future. Today’s readings are indication to this reality, In the first reading Malachi proclaims the just will enter into eternity. The evil will be like the stubble to be burnt in the eternal fire. We see prophet condemning evil of the time in various ways. Here he uses the local jargon to instruct the Israelites to abandon evil and return to be good. The repeated exhortation should enable them to look at the positive side of the life to come. Even today the evil we encounter demands a sense of goodness to overcome evil. For which the faithful have to be listening to the voice of the spirit which will enhance the truth for which one has to strive day and night leaving behind the evil which surrounds us and tempts us to look for easy ways. In the whole book of Malachi he has a dialogue how a God who is just see the evil thrive? But he is sure at the end the evil will be defeated and good will triumph. On the last Day the evil doers will burn in a furnace. This is the first sign of a hell in the Old Testament. The good will shine out as shining stars. A sign of heaven is depicted. In the second reading we find a sort of confusion among the believer on hearing about the end time. We have seen how people are confused even today when some people spread panic among people about the end time. When the 2000 began there was such panic that they said the world would end. Many even sold their things and waited for the end to occur. Even today some godmen do such tricks to earn their livelihood by spreading such news. So also during Paul’s time as we heard in the second reading when the people of Thessalonica abandon their livelihood and wait expectantly for the end time. In the Gospel we see clear instruction of Jesus how the world will end Because we see how Jesus has been slowly but surely moving towards Jerusalem. Jerusalem being the religious centre of Israelites. Jesus knows his missionary Journey would end there. When the leaders of the Jewish people would eventually find fault with Jesus and unjustly condemn him. Jesus uses this opportunity to instruct his disciples about not only his own end but also the end of Jerusalem He knows when the legal system which was creating legal life would end. A new beginning would come into being where a new law of love would enable mankind to renewed hope for the future. Today’s all the three readings have been a testimony to this reality. As we end the liturgical cycle let us be ready to face God’s values in our lives. Thus as we participate in the Eucharistic celebration our hope for the future become more and more real. In union with the divine word, Fr. Juze Vaz svd