Category: Uncategorized

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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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Image credits: (1) (2) Pinterest (3) LoveThisPic

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Gospel: Luke 21: 5-11

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” 
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ 
Do not follow them! 
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.” 
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”  

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Advent is not only about preparing for the birth of Christ at Christmas. It’s also – and more importantly – about preparing our hearts for the victorious return of Christ at the end of the time. 

We can sense the tension building in our readings today.

Strangely, the end of the world is not something that happens all at once. According to Christ’s predictions, it unfolds in three different stages.

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The first “end” is the death of Jesus in the flesh. Once he cries out from the Cross, “It is finished,” and breathes his last, the world has come to an end for him, physically.

The second “end” is the destruction of the Temple, which Jesus predicts in today’s Gospel. “All that you see here – the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Less than 40 years after Christ made this prediction, the Temple was destroyed by the Romans. All that’s left today is a portion of the Western Wall, which remains a critical place of prayer for Jews. 

From a Christian perspective, the destruction of the Temple brought about a symbolic and theological “end” to Old Testament worship as it was no longer needed. Saint Paul tells us, in baptism we become “living stones,” the new temple, body of Christ on earth.

The third “end” is what we often think of – the cosmic conclusion of the universe as we know it. 

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How do I feel about the end of the world? 

Often it’s an uncomfortable topic. But Christians must put this into context; remember what is ending versus what is not.

What is ending are depressing things like sin and death. What is not ending is life. The Lord tells us plainly, “Whoever believes in me has eternal life.” Not here, but in heaven – a place of angels, light, and peace.

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As this season of Advent approaches, may we say what we mean and mean what we say, “Come, Lord Jesus.” 

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Image credits: (1) Pacific Hills Lutheran Church (2) Adobe Stock (3) Christianity Today

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Gospel: Luke 21: 1-4

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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In today’s Gospel, we encounter two people who recognize their end is near. That recognition brings them both to the Temple.

One is Jesus. 

The Lord first enters the Temple as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, held in Mary’s arms. Some thirty years later, the Lord returns one final time, just days away from his death. 

After the explosive drama of turning tables, chasing out moneychangers, and scolding the religious authorities, the Lord’s final image of the Temple is framed by a poor, elderly widow. 

She, too, is nearing her end.

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I imagine her walking slowly towards the treasury, dropping her two final two coins in, saying a prayer of thanksgiving, then disappearing into the crowds.

Little does she know that in the twilight of her life, she has accomplished the final two tasks given to her by God.

First, she anonymously consoles the heart of Christ. In so doing, she fulfills her role as prophetess, foreshadowing what the Lord himself will do just a few days later, offering the “two coins” of own Body and Blood for the salvation of the world.

That week, both Jesus and the widow gave everything they had.

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While none of us are as poor as this widow – or as Christ was – there is one thing that God wants from each of us: our time.

Unlike a few coins, which can be given away then earned again, time is a finite resource, and we don’t know how much have. Nor can we give it all to God at once. Time must be administered in daily doses.

A few minutes spent in silence, pondering a page in the bible, listening to a neighbor burdened by life, a prayer before meals.

How do you offer God your time?

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“This widow has given all she had.”

May we emulate her sacrifice to some small degree each day, giving God what was already his, our life.

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Image credits: (1) The Genie Lab (2) Church of Jesus Christ.org (3) Grace Ministry Mangalore