The disciples hear Jesus’ joyful prayer to the Father in the Holy Spirit in which he praises His Father for revealing that which is hidden to the childlike (and not “the wise and the learned”).  He goes on to say that only the Father and Son really know each other, but the Son reveals more to whom He will (see above).  Jesus then turns to His disciples in private saying that they are blessed to have seen and heard what they have since many before them had longed for such an opportunity (Lk 10:21-24).  While the Lord can and does reveal Himself to persons in miraculous ways, He usually relies on us to make Him known to those who don’t know Him and reintroduce Him to those who have broken away.  Our responsibility as Christians to spread the gospel (i.e., the Good News, i.e., the Word, i.e., Jesus Christ) is clear (see Mk 16:15 and Mt 28-19-20).  This is not something from which we are to shy away.  We are not to make excuses (“I’m not eloquent,” “I’m not knowledgeable,” “I’m too timid,” “I don’t want to make waves,” “I don’t want to take the chance that I will be ridiculed or despised”).  The Lord has given us talents to multiply for the sake of the Kingdom.  Cultivate these through personal reform and effort, always praying for help and guidance.  By your loving example and the ability to give a reason for your hope (cf. 1 Pt 3;15), the Son will continue to reveal the Trinity to us in an ever deeper way and He will bless our efforts to make the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit known, really and practically, to every person we encounter.

The first weekday Mass of Advent gives us the story of Jesus and the centurion with the suffering servant (Mt 8:5-11).  Jesus enters Capernaum only to be approached by a Roman soldier who tells him of the bad condition of his servant.  Jesus immediately offers to come and cure him but the centurion says that he is unworthy to have Jesus come to his house and that He can heal him from afar, making an analogy to his own power of authority.  Jesus is stunned by this response (see above) and tells His followers that He has not encountered such faith in all of Israel.  Jesus goes on to say that many will enter the Kingdom from far reaches.  Wouldn’t it be great to “amaze” Jesus in this way?  It is not easy to do.  In fact, the only other place, aside from Lk 7 where this episode is also relayed, that Jesus is described using the same word (eqaumasen in Greek) is in Mk 6:6 where he is amazed at the lack of faith of His own countrymen who refuse to believe in Him.  So it is our level of faith that makes Jesus marvel.  Faith in God in all circumstances, even the most extraordinary, brings us closer to Him.  Will he not grant us what we need as He did the centurion?  This man did not even explicitly ask Jesus for help but Jesus knew his heart which then was on display for all to say in his explicit declaration of faith in Jesus of Nazareth.  The Lord knows our hearts as well.  Is it with Him or far from Him?  Do we come to Him humbly, trusting in Him, having supreme confidence that He will provide what we need in time of trial?  Do we extol the lordship of Jesus to all who will listen?  This Roman pagan is an example for us, immortalized in the pages of not one gospel, but two.  Should not we who know Jesus intimately trust in Him all the more?  And if that personal relationship has splintered or if it really never existed then there is no time like the present to make it right.  May Jesus be amazed by our total faith and never by our lack of faith.

The gospel reading for the first day of Advent (Lk 21:25-28, 34-36) repeats two readings just heard in the last few days.  Jesus speaks of signs of the end times that will be coming in the sky and on the earth followed by the coming of the Son of Man (see above) for which all should be alert.  To that end, Jesus, speaking to His disciples, tells them to avoid carousing, drunkenness, and anxiety less the day of their trial (which everyone will face) finds them taken by surprise.  Jesus then urges vigilance and prayer.  Although there were miraculous events surrounding the first Christmas it certainly was not like what we are told to expect in the Second Coming.  Nevertheless, in both cases, we have Jesus, the Incarnate God, breaking into the world in an astonishing way.  Two thousand years ago, Jesus came in a manger instead of in a cloud, in humble surroundings instead of in visible power and glory.  But without the First Coming — His incarnation, His teaching, His example, His institution of the sacraments, the Paschal Mystery — our redemption would not be effected.  As far as the Babe’s power and glory, those who were given eyes to see recognized it: the Magi (“They prostrated themselves and did him homage” — Mt 2:11b), the angels (“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” — Lk 2:14), the shepherds (“glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen” — Lk 2:20), Simeon (“my eyes have seen your salvation” — Lk 2:30), and Anna (“she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem” — Lk 2:38).  These first evangelists, bursting with joy at this glorious event, could not hold in the Good News.  Can we say the same?

The liturgical year ends with three of the final five verses of Luke 21 (vv. 34-36) (the next chapter begins on Holy Thursday).  Jesus, speaking to His disciples, tells them to avoid carousing, drunkenness, and anxiety less the day of their trial (which everyone will face) finds them taken by surprise.  As in earlier readings, Jesus urges vigilance and prayer (see above).  There is comfort in knowing that Jesus specifically anticipated the challenges we face in our day.  Religious freedom is being assaulted the world over with varying levels of severity.  In some countries practicing one’s Christian faith is a crime and can be punishable by death.  In others, Christians are outsiders at best.  In the United States, freedom of religion is under assault.  The time is coming, sooner than most persons think, when those who claim to be Christians and are on the fence regarding the how much they embrace their faith will have to definitively decide whether they are with Christ or against him.  We must all pray for ourselves and all professed Christians that we will withstand the tribulations already begun but that will ramp up over time.  Ridicule, false accusations, arrest, imprisonment, death — are we prepared for anything that might come our way?  We are to watch carefully and pray intently for conversion of our nation and all nations around the world.  And that begins with us.  Living an authentically Christian life in the public square without compromise is our calling.  Changing the world begins with healing ourselves so that we can be Christ to others, see Christ in others, and draw others in by being conduits of God’s grace and love.

Continuing from yesterday’s passage, Jesus now speaks of the coming persecution of those faithful to Him (Lk 21:12-19).  He tells His followers that they will be handed over, seized, persecuted, and even killed.  They will be hated by all.  They will stand trial and be given wisdom by Jesus Himself to refute their judges (see above).  Regardless of what happens, by perseverance they will be saved.  In a day and age that is becoming more and more adversarial toward people of faith, we will likely increasingly find ourselves in positions where we are asked (and maybe even forced) to defend our beliefs.  It may well happen soon — one can argue that the time is actually at hand — that Christians will have to get off the fence regarding their faith and either make a stand for it or completely compromise it.  For those who persevere, Jesus does not promise an easy go of it.  Even those closest to the faithful may turn against them and expose them to the devices of their antagonists.  It is at this time especially that the eloquence of truth that comes from the Truth (Jn 14:6) will be ours.  But we must be completely open for the gifts of the Holy Spirit by eliminating that which blocks grace (i.e., sin).  Ridicule, persecution, imprisonment, or even death will not sway us if we have the truth, expressing it “whether it is convenient or inconvenient” (2 Tim 4:2), because the promise of eternal life for our witness (in Greek: martyr) is ours.

Continuing on in Luke (21:5-11) Jesus responds to comments made by passers-by about the beauty of the temple by predicting its complete and utter destruction.  When asked when this will happen and what sign will be given, Jesus begins with the line above and then tells His listeners that they should not follow those claiming to come in His name.  Further, wars and insurrections do not mark the end either.  Earthquakes, famines, plagues, and signs in the sky apparently will signal the end.  How easy it is to be deceived!  The slick televangelist, the “prosperity gospel” proponent, one holding the banner of “spiritual not religious,” the “comfort” of knowing that “everyone gets to heaven,” the dynamic world leader.  Jesus warns His listeners, many of whom will undergo persecution and even death for Him, to not fall into following such false gospels.  The same warning applies to all ages until Jesus’ actual return.  What does not comport to the teaching of the Eternal Word, Jesus, as safeguarded by the church He established must be set aside.  Additionally, the fascination with the end times — so prevalent in recent years — need find no place with us: “But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone […;] be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come” (Mt 24:36, 44).  What we do know is that our end will come and we should be prepared at any moment to give an accounting to the Lord.  Be not deceived!

The short passage that begins Luke 21 (vv. 1-4) finds Jesus observing those donating to the temple treasury.  He comments on a widow who drops in her last two coins, saying she gave the most of all because she gave out of her need, not her excess.  The line above closes out this exchange.  It is a lesson for us today.  Regardless of material wealth we are all poor because all we have comes from God.  So we owe Him nothing less than our “whole livelihood.”  In addition, the innate or developed talents we have may seem to be a pittance in the call to build up the Kingdom.  This may or may not be true (an honest personal assessment and the frank opinion of those we trust is needed here) but we are called to give these unmerited gifts away.  Is it success in our work that allows us to give generous financial gifts to our parish and other good causes?  Maybe a facility for handicrafts, fixing things, gardening, or other manual work is our contribution to church and neighbor.  Organizational ability, computer literacy, business acumen, or other professional skills may be just what the parish or charitable group needs.  Ability to teach others life skills, business etiquette, or job hunting tips can provide life-long benefits.  Or does zeal for the Faith lead us to develop classes, conferences, or talks supplemented by bringing others in through our networking ability?  Let us hold nothing back in using all our talents for the Lord’s work!

Today’s Solemnity of Christ the King takes us to Jesus before Pontius Pilate (Jn 18:33b-37).  Pilate asks Jesus if He is the King of the Jews.  Jesus asks why Pilate so inquires and he tells Him that this is the charge brought against Him by the Jewish religious leaders who handed Jesus over to the Romans.  Jesus says His kingdom is not of this world.  Pilate presses again and Jesus confirms He is a king who has come to testify to the truth.  The last words Jesus utters to Pilate are at top.  With His fate in the balance, Jesus finds it most important to speak about truth.  This is a deadly serious thing.  That which is not truth must be rejected out of hand as a thing that pulls us away from Jesus.  Lies, big or small, cannot be countenanced and must be given no quarter.  Neither can the Father of Lies, so pervasive in this age, be tolerated.  Earlier in John, Jesus describes Satan this way: “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44).  The devil has many children today as his lies and deception permeate society and the world.  This is a difficult force to combat, but fight back we must.  Never be afraid to stand on the side of truth and to defend that truth who is Jesus (“I am the way and the truth and the life” — Jn 14:6).  Doing so can lead to temporal effects not to our liking, but failure to do so may have eternal consequences: “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.  But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father” (Jn 10:32-33).  We must keep up the good fight against the falsehoods so easily spread and even more quickly accepted or even embraced in this day and age.  A renewed call to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17) is a good goal to shoot for.

Jesus finds Himself confronted by Sadducees on the question of the resurrection of the dead (they do not believe in it) (Lk 20:27-40).  They pose to Him a problem: If a woman marries seven times, to whom will she be married in the next life?  Jesus answers by saying that there is no marriage in eternity.  Addressing the issue of resurrection more generally, Jesus refers to God speaking to Moses from the burning bush, when He said that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — a God of the living, not of the dead (see above).  The scribes tell Jesus He answered well and then no one asks any more questions.  Much debate occurs between Catholics and many Protestants regarding the efficacy or even the appropriateness of praying for the dead and asking intercessory help from those who are with God.  In this passage Jesus not only gives us a glimpse of what the faithful can expect but also confirms that “all are alive” –  we living on earth and those who have gone before us.  So pray for the help of the saints who gave witness by their lives (and often their deaths) their closeness to the Lord.  And let this reading remind us that we can ask for aid from the great Old Testament figures who were so important in God’s plan of salvation, overcoming immense challenges to do the Lord’s will for His people.  They can surely appreciate our small struggles and advocate on our behalf.

The gospel reading for yesterday (not read because of Thanksgiving) jumped a bit ahead in Luke to describe Jesus crying over Jerusalem as He approached it as He lamented its rejection of Him and its coming destruction.  Today finds Jesus entering Jerusalem and immediately driving out the sellers in the temple area because of their thievery (Lk 19:45-48).  Because His subsequent teaching there so captivated the people, the religious leaders could not fulfill their goal of having Him put to death.  Countless Christians the world over since the time of Christ would have loved to hear Jesus’ teaching from His own lips.  In this passage, the line at top tells the reader how compelling the was.  In fact, no instance comes to mind in which what Jesus says causes indifference.  Either His words are embraced, questioned, anger-inducing, or rejected.  But no one goes away the same after encountering the Lord.  Should we embrace every word?  Yes.  Is it okay to have questions regarding meaning or application?  Go to the Church, go to prayer, and, if possible, go to a spiritual director.  Does Christ present challenges?  Of course, but only to make us examine our lives so that we might draw closer to Him.  While Jesus may no longer be in our midst in the same way He was during His earthly life, His words are eternal and remain with us today and forever so that we might to hang on them, interiorize them, be changed by them, live them, and spread them.