33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today’s readings: Malachi 3,19-20a; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21,5-19
The end is nigh! It is but a few days before the liturgical year draws to a close with the celebration of Christ, the King of all the universe. One might expect soothing words that invite us to look back at the past year as we gently wrap it up and prepare ourselves for a new year ahead, one hopefully filled with promise.
However, the gospel chosen for this penultimate Sunday of the Church’s year is shocking to the core. Jesus mentions the most ominous of events that are yet to happen: “wars and uprisings… great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven” (Lk 21,9.11). And as though this were not enough, the master warns us that Christians will be seized and persecuted, and brought before the authorities because of his name.
All these events are set in the future, at a time that cannot be established with certainty, though many have tried to do so. Early thinkers believed Christ would return within the first centuries. During the Reformation, similar beliefs concerning the imminent end of the world existed.
Over the past two centuries, movements and cult leaders have identified specific dates as candidates for the final apocalyptic events. A particular sect predicted the end of the world a number of times, but it consistently missed the target.
Even when the situation is desperate, you can still be a light, you can still be an inspiration to others
The point is not in these happenings, which are beyond human control, but in what we can actually do in such situations and similar ones. It is precisely here that, rather than becoming despondent, Christians are to grasp the opportunity to witness to Jesus.
His words “This will give you an opportunity to bear witness” (Lk 21,13) are worthy of note. Even when the situation is desperate, there is still something you can do. You can still be a light, you can still speak in a wholesome way, you can still be an inspiration to others.
2015 was the year when 21 Christian migrant workers were brutally murdered on the shores of Libya for refusing to renounce their faith. In the final moments before their execution, they loudly proclaimed the name of Jesus in Arabic. The Coptic Church, to which the majority belonged, noted that they professed Christ and were his witnesses, which is what the word martyr actually means in its original Greek version. These martyrs stood out because, rather than merely enduring that horrendous experience, they used it to boldly proclaim their Lord and Saviour, showing that even the threat of death would neither crush their spirits nor their faith.
Letters and Papers from Prison, by Dietrich BonhoefferFiammetta Curcio, the daughter of an Italian prison mate of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, recently delivered a speech at a conference in Malta entitled ‘A Farewell in Tegel 1945: My Father and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’. She spoke about this eminent theologian’s humanity, and how, despite the severe hardships endured, he managed to instil hope and positivity in other prisoners.
Fiammetta’s father later told her that, after the 30 minutes of interaction that they were allowed per day, he would spend the whole day reflecting on what Bonhoeffer told him, feeling nourished and strengthened by his words. Bonhoeffer, a German who had opposed Hitler, wrote his Letters and Papers from Prison, a work that glows with light, though penned in the existential darkness of his cell. It is considered one of the most luminous theological writings of the last century.
No matter how dire the situation of a Christian may be, they can always rise above it. Refusing to fall prey to cynicism, pessimism or hopelessness, Christians raise the banner of faith and view the tragedies of this world from a different perspective. Even wounds become life-giving fountains, because trust in Jesus changes everything, and the darkest moments make one’s inner light shine even brighter.
stefan.m.attard@um.edu.mt
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