Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.
Today's Gospel: Luke 21:5-11
Today’s Gospel could be disturbing if we let it be. The people were discussing, admiringly, the beautiful temple with its costly stones and votive offerings when Jesus interrupted with a rude awakening:
“The days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”
I recall times I’ve been smacked in the face with harsh realities: the Covid pandemic; the day my seemingly healthy husband told me he had to have open-heart surgery; the morning our son called, panicked, saying he’d been in a car accident.
It might seem cruel to hear doom and gloom from our Lord, but God is truth and life, and the warning, reality. Do we want to live in a façade or understand that the things we cling to in this world are transitory and will soon be gone?
Within this Gospel, we also find these words: “Do not be terrified.” Jesus wants to assure us that he will go before us, come alongside us, and be ahead of us as we face trials. What a grace!
Today’s saint, St. Catherine of Alexandria, was a young girl, likely of nobility, in Egypt who converted to Christianity after experiencing a moving vision of Mary and the infant Jesus. After her conversion, many tried to force her to renounce her faith. Because of the eloquent way she defended Christianity, she is known as the patron saint of apologists.
What helped Catherine persevere to the end, despite the calamities that befell her? Certainly, this image of sweet baby Jesus and his tender mother were always in her mind and led to her bringing many others to Christ.
The bottom of our worlds will fall out. The message from Jesus is: Cling to me, not to this world. Be at peace.
Ponder:
What image of our Lord keeps you hopeful? If you don’t have one, spend time in prayer to discover an image or word of God that can bring assured hope in times of distress and carry that close.
Pray:
Dear Lord, it’s so easy for me to cling to the comforts of this world. While I am grateful for all of the blessings and provisions you’ve offered, it’s good for my soul to remember that the world is quickly fading, and you are the only solid, reliable life preserver on the market.
Copyright 2025 Roxane Salonen
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