Word to the Wise
Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 34th Tuesday in Ordinary Time
[Revelation 14:14-19 and Luke]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."
What does "the end of the world" mean? Most of us have a difficult time thinking of this absolutely since we are such creatures of time and space. Yeah, yeah, it'll all end someday, we say. However, there are times when our "world" does come to an end. Ask the folks in New Orleans! In parts of that city, not one stone was left upon another. That world came to a definitive end and is gone forever, no matter what recovery efforts are made. Ask someone who has been married to someone happily for many, many years after the death of their spouse. "Worlds" do come to an end. In the case of the gospel scripture, Luke is trying to assure his community that the Roman destruction of the temple is NOT the end of the world absolutely. Yes, it's the end of a "way of life" which can be a "world" for many folks. But, as far as the Lord is concerned, there's still work to be done and the past is not a life preserver against the future,especially when the past was identified with certain "costly stones and votive offerings." For all those who suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome, hope is an important force. The gospel challenges us to be hopeful and aim for the future. New "worlds" of faith lie ahead. The absolute "end of the world" is up to God. We have other things to do! AMEN
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