God Will Prevail

Homily for Tuesday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time

Apocalyptic literature is once again the bill of fare for today’s liturgy. Both the Book of Revelation and the Gospel refer to a time of great distress. Catholic commentaries on this kind of literature are quick to point out that while some may think of these events as happening at an unknown time in the future, the sacred writers are actually writing about events in their own time. The Book of Revelation was written during the great persecutions of the Roman Empire while the Gospel of St. Luke was written just around the time that the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed during Rome’s attempt to quell a Jewish revolt.

We really don’t need to dredge up fears about such events. We already live in fearful times. The current pandemic and the seemingly endless political battles are stressful enough. The hurricanes and wildfires that are threatening the lives of people and destroying their homes also bring with them a huge bundle of stress.

So what do we take away from these readings, and how are we to apply them to our own times.

The overriding theme of all Biblical Apocalyptic literature is the promise that is offered throughout the Scriptures; namely, we need not fear. Though stressful times are part of every human life, God has assured us that God will triumph over all evil no matter what form it takes. The proof we have in this is the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus died the most excruciating and humiliating death imaginable at the hands of the Jewish authorities and the Roman Empire. His subsequent resurrection and his promise to share that resurrection with us is proof of the fact that God will eventually conquer all evil and rescue all believers.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator