mountains! If you are in Jerusalem, leave! If you are outside the city, don’t enter it! For
these will be the days of its punishment, and all that was announced in the Scriptures
will be fulfilled. How hard will it be for pregnant women, and for mothers with babies
at the breast! For a great calamity will come upon the land, and wrath upon this people.
They will be put to death by the sword, or taken as slaves to other nations; and
Jerusalem will be trampled upon by the pagans, until the time of the pagans is fulfilled.
Then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of
nations, perplexed when they hear the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will
faint with fear at the mere thought of what is to come upon the world, for the forces
of the universe will be shaken. Then, at that time, they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory. So, when you see things begin to
happen, stand erect and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near.”

Reflect

“Rising above ourselves.” Being deceived by what seems to be pleasing in
appearance could lead to plagues, famines and wars. Just think of the ongoing
environmental destruction everywhere and of escalating wars. We cannot deny
the fact that the root cause of many of the sufferings of people today are
manmade. Human beings are deceived by the allurements of power and wealth.
The Gospel passage for today implies that the destruction of Jerusalem was
also manmade. It happened out of man’s thirst for power and wealth. Human
beings, hooked in this web of wealth and power, had intensified sufferings and
made life unbearable. But the Gospel’s message for today does not end without
hope. Jesus gave us the assurance that when we begin to experience these
things, we have to stand erect because our salvation is at hand. In our present
time, Pope Francis has articulated the same reality and its corresponding
challenges. His Holiness, in his Laudato Si’, says: “Human beings, while
capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing
again what is good, and making a newstart, despite their mental and social
conditioning.” (LS 205) There is hope. We are capable of rising above ourselves.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2024