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Gospel: Luke 21: 12-19
Jesus said to the crowd:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Have you seen the Harry Potter movies or read the books?
Harry Potter is the story of an 11-year-old orphan who discovers that he’s a wizard. His mission is to destroy the warlock, Lord Voldemort.
Like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and other Hollywood films, Harry Potter is a story about the struggle between good and evil, making it arrestingly human.
As Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather, notes, “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”
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“What matters is the part we choose to act on.”
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In the Gospel, Jesus describes the end of the world, which will involve war, division, disease, and famine. Parents hand over children, disciples are forced to testify on his behalf, and so on.
Things that happen because people are forced to take sides, acting on either the light or the darkness within.
It’s a heavy scene to contemplate. But perhaps it’s more digestible by thinking about little ways follow the light – the Holy Spirit – within.
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When someone angers us and we forgive them, we follow the light.
When we put our gifts at the service of others, we follow the light.
When we speak kindly about others, we follow the light.
When we testify to our faith, even at great cost, we follow the light.
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I won’t give away the specifics of how Harry Potter ends, but I will say this – good always wins in the end. It’s true in Hollywood films – and it’s true in the Gospels.
May Christ be our light, shining in our hearts today.
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