33rd Sunday Year C Mal 3:19-20; 2 Thess 3:7-12; Lk 21:5-19

‘All things are passing’ is the message Jesus is telling those impressed with marble and gold and glitzy baubles, or the SMH magazine shoppers’ guide in alluring colour. But then it can be consoling for those immersed in chronic pain, mental or physical to feel that it’s temporary.

Jesus speaks in terrifying prophecy both of the earth and to each personally. We feel fearful. But ‘I will then be your strength’ he reassures our poor fears. The thought of being ‘hated by all’ threatens our well being and could be depressing. (This could be distressing to some viewers.) Only utter trust in his involved concern for even ‘the hairs on your head’ will console us and restore us to equilibrium. The extremity of the threat could well have been designed merely to measure and express the extremity of the love.

God’s power in the natural world is daily manifest for those blessed with insight. Not only in tsunami and cyclone, but also in diversity of leaves or bird migration or cosmic investigations can we be awe struck. Our mighty God is benign.

Another warning is to persevere in truth and refuse to be swayed by superficial tempting whims. In our C21st materialist world, those whims cover a range of seduction and addiction (Masterchef anyone?) that is powerful indeed. Our young have a hard time of it, being lured by its music, literally and metaphorically,surrounding them every day. Are they being ‘handed over and (spiritually) being ‘put to death’?

The fullest of graces could reside in the calm confidence we’ve heard of here from the Lord, that all will be well whatever, whenever, however, the appearances of misfortune. We have from this reading joyous cause for abiding optimism to be a mark of a follower of Jesus, have we not?

                                                                                                             Margaret Moore
Dominican Exstudent