Gospel: Luke 21:5-11
While some people were talking about the temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, Jesus said to them, “The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.” And they asked him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” Jesus said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he; the time is near at hand!’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, don’t be frightened; for all these things must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.” And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen.
Reflection:
"Even in great difficulty, we are to trust in the Lord."
Tradition relates that Catherine was the daughter of Constus, the Roman governor of Alexandria. After seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus, she became a Christian and she was martyred during the persecution in the time of Emperor Maxentius. As a third-century woman, endowed with great learning, who was martyred on a cartwheel for converting many to the Christian faith by her eloquence, Catherine’s patronage is very broad indeed. She is patron saint of philosophers, theologians, maidens, female students, preachers, lawyers, the dying, wheelwrights, mechanics and potters. In fourteenth-century Rhineland, a devotion of the Fourteen Holy Helpers arose during the time of the Black Death. Saint Catherine of Alexandria was one of the fourteen intercessors. She, along with Saint Christopher and Saint Barbara, was invoked for protection against a sudden and unprovided death, as well as against diseases of the tongue. Today’s Gospel describes the many troubles that the world faces, such as wars, famines and plagues. Jesus tells us not to be afraid, as our human existence does not end in sorrow, but with the hope of heaven. And so, even in great difficulty, like Saint Catherine, we are to trust in the Lord.
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