Gospel of the Day (Luke 21:29-33)

He taught them a lesson. "Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.

When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.

Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

***

Reflections:

"When you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near"

"In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). But blessed is he in whom he has his being, who lives for him and is moved by him. You ask then how I knew he was present, he whose ways cannot be traced (Rom 11: 3 3). He is life and power (Heb 4: 12), and as soon as he enters in he stirs my sleeping soul. He moves and soothes and pierces my heart, which was as hard as stone and riddled with disease (Ez 36:26). And he begins to root up and destroy, to build and to plant, to water the dry places and light the dark corners (cf. Jer 1:10), to open what was closed, set what was cold on fire, «to make the crooked straight and the rough places smooth» (Is 40:4), so that my soul may bless the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name (Ps 102.1).

And so when the Bridegroom, the Word, came to me he never made any sign that he was coming... Only by the warmth of my heart, as I said before, did I know that he was there, and I knew the power of his might because my faults were purged and my body's yearnings brought under control. And when my secret faults were revealed and made visible, I have been amazed at the depth of his wisdom, At the slightest amendment of my life, I have experienced the goodness of his mercy. In the making and renewing of the spirit of my mind (2Cor 4,16; Eph 4,23), that is the inner man, I perceived the excellence of his glorious beauty; and when I contemplate all these things I am filled with awe of his manifold greatness.

Gospel of the Day (Luke 21:20-28)

When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand.

Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city, for these days are the time of punishment when all the scriptures are fulfilled.

Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this people.

They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.

People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand."

***

Reflections:

"Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand"

«Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the Lord, for he comes; he comes to rule the earth» (Ps 95[96], 12b-13). The Lord has already come once and he will come again. The first time he came «on the clouds» (Mt 26,64) in his Church. What are the clouds that bore him? Apostles, preachers... The first time he came borne by his preachers and he filled all the earth. Let us not resist his first coming if we would not dread the second...

So what should the Christian do? Profit by this world but not serve this world. And in what does that consist? «Own as though not owning». That is what Saint Paul said: «Brothers, the time is running out... From now on... let those weeping act as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning, those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing away. I should like you to be free of anxieties» (1Cor 7,29-32). Anyone free from anxiety confidently awaits his Lord's coming. For if we dread his coming do we love the Lord? My brethren, aren't we blushing about it? We love him and yet we dread his coming? Do we truly love him or do we not rather love our sins? Then let us hate our sins and love the One who is to come...

«Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the Lord» for he has come a first time... He has come a first time and he will return to judge the earth. At that time he will find all those who believed in his first coming full of joy.