Wednesday 23 November 2022 Week 34 Ordinary Time
Apocalypse 15:1-4
What I, John, saw in heaven was a great and wonderful sign: seven angels were bringing the seven plagues that are the last of all, because they exhaust the anger of God. I seemed to see a glass lake suffused with fire, and standing by the lake of glass, those who had fought against the beast and won, and against his statue and the number which is his name. They all had harps from God, and they were singing the hymn of Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb: ‘How great and wonderful are all your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are all your ways, King of nations. Who would not revere and praise your name, O Lord? You alone are holy, and all the pagans will come and adore you for the many acts of justice you have shown.’
Psalm 97 How great and wonderful are all your works, Lord God almighty.
Luke 21:12-19
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.’
Reflection:
Perseverance drives us to the strength we need to carry our difficulties with joy. Perseverance brings freedom by giving us possession of ourselves through love. Perseverance stimulates patience, which goes far beyond simple resignation. It is tenacity originating from love. Here is one such story. A true story.
In 1989, an 8.2 earthquake hit Armenia, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. It’s hard to imagine the anguish, and the suffering that began in those brief minutes. In the midst of the chaos and destruction, a father rushed to his son’s school. He ran to the back corner of the building where his son’s class used to be and began to dig. All he knew was that he had made a promise to always be there for his son. As he began to dig, others tried to pull him out saying: “It’s too late!” “They’re dead!” “There’s nothing you can do!” But he continued to dig for many hours. After three days, he heard his sons’ voice. Immediately, he screamed, “ARMAND!” Back came the words, “Dad!?” I told them! I told the other kids that if you were still alive, you’d come and find me!
St Francis said, “This is the grace for which we must ask: perseverance. And that the Lord may save us from fantasies of triumphalism. Triumphalism is not Christian; it is not of the Lord. The daily journey in the presence of God, this is the way of the Lord. Continue on the path.”
Those who had fought against the beast and won, as we heard in first reading, won because of their perseverance – not because of a short battle, but by their daily continuous work of love. With this perseverance comes a deep wisdom and knowing, in which we do not need to prepare our defence. It brings forward from deep within, the strength that God gives to us. Perseverance teaches us that what we need does not come from ourselves, but rather, in the midst of our powerlessness and inability, what we need is given to us. May we always be grateful for that.
Riflessione (italiano):
La perseveranza ci spinge a trovare la forza necessaria per affrontare le difficoltà con gioia. La perseveranza porta alla libertà, dandoci il possesso di noi stessi attraverso l’amore. La perseveranza stimola la pazienza, che va ben oltre la semplice rassegnazione. È una tenacia che nasce dall’amore. Ecco una di queste storie. Una storia vera.
Nel 1989, un terremoto di magnitudo 8,2 colpì l’Armenia, uccidendo oltre 30.000 persone in meno di quattro minuti. È difficile immaginare l’angoscia e la sofferenza che iniziarono in quei brevi minuti. In mezzo al caos e alla distruzione, un padre si è precipitato alla scuola di suo figlio. Corse verso l’angolo posteriore dell’edificio dove si trovava la classe di suo figlio e iniziò a scavare. Sapeva solo che aveva fatto la promessa di essere sempre presente per suo figlio. Mentre iniziava a scavare, altri cercarono di tirarlo fuori dicendo: “È troppo tardi!” “Sono morti!” “Non c’è niente da fare!”. Ma lui continuò a scavare per molte ore. Dopo tre giorni, sentì la voce dei suoi figli. Immediatamente gridò: “ARMAND!”. Gli tornarono in mente le parole: “Papà!?”. Gliel’ho detto! Ho detto agli altri ragazzi che se tu fossi ancora vivo, verresti a cercarmi!
San Francesco disse: “Questa è la grazia che dobbiamo chiedere: la perseveranza. E che il Signore ci salvi dalle fantasie di trionfalismo. Il trionfalismo non è cristiano, non è del Signore. Il cammino quotidiano alla presenza di Dio, questa è la via del Signore. Continuate il cammino”.
Coloro che hanno combattuto contro la bestia e hanno vinto, come abbiamo sentito nella prima lettura, hanno vinto grazie alla loro perseveranza – non per una breve battaglia, ma per la loro continua opera d’amore quotidiana. Con questa perseveranza arriva una profonda saggezza e conoscenza, in cui non abbiamo bisogno di preparare la nostra difesa. Essa fa emergere dal profondo la forza che Dio ci dona. La perseveranza ci insegna che ciò di cui abbiamo bisogno non viene da noi stessi, ma piuttosto, durante la nostra impotenza e incapacità, ciò di cui abbiamo bisogno ci viene dato. Possiamo sempre essere grati per questo.