Wisdom Reflection-TERRIBLE OR TERRIFIC - THE DAY OF THE LORD

Sr. Barbara O’Dea, DW

The context of our times calls for mobilization, investing every resource, and all our energy to proclaim the primacy of God’s kingdom through our words, our lives, our work. The Word urges all believers to forward that mission. Scary? Yes.

We are coming to the end of the church year when the scriptures focus on the end times. The Word of God, whether from the prophet or Jesus might sound confusing, terrifying, making us feel out of control. But should it?

We hear the prophet Malachi proclaim the Day of the Lord to the Hebrew people during a time of great discouragement. They had made the difficult return trip from Exile in Babylon willingly, looking forward to better times. The Temple has been rebuilt. Still, the returning exiles were not well received in their native land. Their possessions had been taken by others. They were isolated and poor. Their faithfulness to God seemed to have been in vain. Their faith was weakened; their fidelity to the covenant endangered. To them, the prophet’s words about the Day of the Lord must have sounded like good news. God would destroy the arrogant and the proud, but to the faithful Malachi promised, for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.

Fast forward to Jesus’ time. Centuries later, Jesus spoke to the people in the beautiful Temple the Exiles had built. Some enthralled by its beauty commented on its costly stones and votive offerings. Jesus’ words must have stunned them: All that you see here – the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone. Stunned, they ask him when this will happen. Jesus re-directs their focus, that is not the point. He tells them not to be terrified about the wars and tumults. He urged them not to go astray, following those who claimed to know when that day would come, nor be terrified when they heard of calamites – earthquakes, divisions among nations, and wars. It was not yet the Day of the Lord. When that day came, He would not abandon them. Jesus made a commitment to them, telling them that when you are brought before judges, I will give you wisdom in speaking that your adversaries will be powerless to refute. The message might not have been as encouraging to them as that of Malachi, but it brought them the precious gift of hope.

Now, two millennia later, Jesus speaks to us, peoples of different nations and races in different contexts around the globe. Our ancestors have already witnessed to the faith across two millennia. We who joined this movement of salvation at our baptism are called to live it faithfully as we too look forward to Christ’s coming in glory.

Today the gospel tells us that persecutions are not necessarily a sign that the end is near. They are part of the human condition in every age. As followers of Christ, we are constantly called to spread the gospel, to bear witness to our faith by living it in the midst of an increasingly secularized world. Our attitude must be one of firm faith and fidelity to God despite misunderstanding and persecution. Opposition can rouse our courage. Jesus calls us not to be afraid. He assures us that he will give us the words and the courage to speak and act in difficult situations. The danger is that we could live without making efforts to come to grips with problems in our own lives and those of the people who surround us. The world will never persecute those who do nothing to change the circumstances of others trapped in unjust situations, or who have no impact on their environment.

These readings are a summons to reflection on the meaning of our lives. The context of our times calls for mobilization, investing every resource, and all our energy to proclaim the primacy of God’s kingdom through our words, our lives, our work. The Word urges all believers to forward that mission. Scary? Yes.  Still, with the help of the Holy Spirit, and others, we can do our part in these our times. Embrace the challenge. Accept the opportunity to grow. Remember, God is still in control even when everything in our lives and all around us is not.