Tuesday of 34th Week, odd numbered year
“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 him this question : ’Master’ they said’ when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?“On the following day of the Feast of Christ the King , the liturgy has us meditate upon the future. Jesus does this in the traditional language of the Apocalypse and in a framework that takes in earth and heaven, the sun, moon and stars. Certainly Jesus has in mind recent events : the Ruin of the Temple of Jerusalem. He also refers to trials and persecutions that will strike the disciples. Jesus tells us about the illusion that there could be to build the Kingdom of God outside of the mystery of his Infinite Love! We always want to build up something beautiful, according to what we see, we want to be generous! This is how we enter little by little into the illusion that we might be able to build the Kingdom of God in this way, as wee see it. Jesus tells us ’’my Kingdom is not of this world.’ We need to remind ourselves that one thing alone remains , the union of our heart to God’s Heart. Certainly in poverty and in littleness in this union of love a link of love is established one with another. And so all that is weaved will hold out, all the rest will faint away.” Take care not to be deceived, because many will come using my name and saying, ’I am the one ’and ’The time is at hand.’ Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be terrified, for this is something that must happen first, but the end will not come at once."
Behind the destruction of the Temple, we can see signs of the end of the world. World history has entered into its final phase with the Coming of Jesus. Behind the judgement of Jerusalem, we discern the Coming of the Son of Man. We need to hope, we need to be watchful.It is useless to foresee anything. Something fundamental is to be accomplished in the world and in our life, it is the ’passage’ of a stone temple to a ’Temple’ inside of us that is our heart. The Holy Spirit is the main Actor of the civilization of Love that announces the Kingdom of God. It is Jesus who brings about our conversion : ’Whether we
eat, whether we drink’, we do so in Jesus Christ. We are united to Christ and to Mary in a whole new unity that has us bring about the Body of Christ.
“Then Jesus said to them, ’Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines in various places ;there will be terrifying events and great signs from heaven.”
Jesus announces the ruin of the Temple by giving a worthwhile recommendation any time we are going through ordeals : Be careful not to let yourselves be abused by false messiahs. The future belongs to God alone, but we have time I these days given to us to serve him and to love him. We have the space in our hearts so s to welcome in it the Word of Jesus .In the violence of this world that doesn’t receive this Love , Jesus, on the summit of the Cross will cry out ’I thirst!’ It is a cry for the creation of a new Humanity, for the Kingdom of God builds up the civilization of Love and faces the challenges of violence. In the life of Baptized people, the Kingdom of God elaborates itself in the new Love that dwells in us. In the Body of Christ, each one of us weave links of love that allow Christ to spread his Peace throughout the whole of the universe. Jesus blesses the Father to have revealed this mystery to the poor and to little ones.