When you Hear of Misfortunes, Do Not Be Terrified. Christ is with Us.

11-13-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Aruldoss

Dear People of God,

Praise the Lord. Good morning to you. As we draw close to the end of the liturgical year, we are reminded of the Day of the Lord through this Sunday's readings.

In today’s first reading, Malachi announces the coming of the day of the Lord. He paints two pictures: the fate of the evil doer, and the triumph of the righteous who endures till the end. This short reading simply serves as an encouragement to us to continue our good work in patient righteousness and endurance. It teaches that to persist in good works till the end, one must endure all forms of trials and difficulties as some Saints did. Today’s first reading ends with a promise: “But for you who fear my name, there will be arise the sun of justice with its healing rays” (Malachi 3: 20a)

In the second reading, Paul encouraged us to work hard to earn both our earthly and heavenly living. Good work is a product of endurance; it yields good and enduring fruits as well. Therefore, one must persevere in it until it begins to yield good fruits.

In the gospel, Jesus encourages us to persevere in righteousness and endure in hard work. Furthermore, in warning that in spite of the elegance of the temple that it will be destroyed, Jesus warns us not to hold on tenaciously to anything of this world to the detriment of forgetting God because the only things that will endure are faith, hope, and trust in God which are manifested through charity – the love of God, as well as the love of neighbor. So, rather than fix our gaze on the glory of this world, we must keep all our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (Heb12, 2).

Here Jesus is also assuring his followers that God is present to all believers, even in times of trouble. As disciples of Jesus, we need to try to follow his example, trusting in God's mercy and protection, even when we are facing difficulties. We should be always prepared since we do not know the day or the hour that Christ will come again nor the moment of our death. For that we need to lead lives that are in accordance with His commandments.

Have a Happy and Blessed Sunday!