Imagine hearing the same message Jesus spoke to those gathered round admiring their temple of worship, that not a single stone will be left on another. But this time hear the same words spoken about your very own parish! The beautifully adorned tabernacle, the gorgeous altar with relics of the Saints, the arches, stained glass and so on. All gone!
Then remember all the times you took your Holy place of worship for granted. Thinking it’s ok to miss one Sunday, in fact I don’t have to attend every week, the Lord will understand. Or we don’t have anything to worry for surely our prayers to give us our daily bread will be answered! Then covid 19 came and left us empty for a very long time. We should be relieved in a sense that it is not something permanent. But then again have we allowed our very own temples to be destroyed? left empty? Have we decided that spiritual communion is good enough? It is now the ‘new normal’? And so we make no effort to attend the Eucharistic Celebration in Church. If spiritual communion were enough Jesus would not have instituted the Holy Eucharist. He knew we need to receive Him, body blood soul and divinity into our very being so that we can overcome sin and temptation; to live fully in His love and to be beacons of His light in the world. The real catastrophe in the world is not from natural disasters, wars and such. It is a world absent of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ!
Let me never take Your love for me for granted Lord, forgive me for the many times that I have done so. Let me live in your presence and in Your love. Now and forever. Amen
First reading
Apocalypse 14:14-19 ·
The harvest and the vintage of the earth are ripe
In my vision I, John, saw a white cloud and, sitting on it, one like a son of man with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the sanctuary, and shouted aloud to the one sitting on the cloud, ‘Put your sickle in and reap: harvest time has come and the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ Then the one sitting on the cloud set his sickle to work on the earth, and the earth’s harvest was reaped.
Another angel, who also carried a sharp sickle, came out of the temple in heaven, and the angel in charge of the fire left the altar and shouted aloud to the one with the sharp sickle, ‘Put your sickle in and cut all the bunches off the vine of the earth; all its grapes are ripe.’ So the angel set his sickle to work on the earth and harvested the whole vintage of the earth and put it into a huge winepress, the winepress of God’s anger.
Gospel
Luke 21:5-11
The destruction of the Temple foretold
When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’ And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’
‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’
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