HOMILY 33RD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
APOCALYPTIC SCARY STUFF, BUT, LIFE BE IN IT AND LIVE IT WELL!!
Lk 21.5-19 Mal 3.19-20 2Thess 3.2-12
Here we are, closing in on the end of the Church’s liturgical year, with Advent nearly upon us and Christmas coming, as the streets and shops are already reminding us! And, just after Halloween, or the Eve of All Saints, for the more religiously observant, we get scary stuff from Jesus, as he warns of dark things to come for himself first, then his disciples, then the Temple, followed by Jerusalem and then the end of the world crashing in on us. It all sounds rather ominous. What he doesn’t give is a time line, forecasting the future, as to when and how these things are to occur.
Let’s remember Luke is writing after the destruction of the Temple in 70AD, so he has the benefit of hindsight. The words of Jesus are more in exhortation or encouragement for his followers to persevere in living the faith in the world in which they exist. Like the experience of Jesus, in facing constant resistance and opposition to his teaching, he both warns of difficulties, but also reassures that strength will come from those who believe in his ongoing presence and enlightenment.
As we can see, the end times are far from where we are now. The sun will eventually “become a red giant, expanding to engulf Mercury and Venus and possibly Earth… as the Sun runs out of hydrogen fuel at its core.” (So AI tells me!) So “Don’t you worry about that!”, as we’ve heard in the past! Your and my concerns are to live well in the here and now, day by day, year by year!
Meanwhile, we are on this planet to live our finite lives as best we can, in our context here, as people of faith, who acknowledge that Jesus shows us the way, in the light of a loving creator God, whom he reveals in his person, walking among us, and whose presence endures with us, in his Word, the Eucharist and in each other.
This past week has been a sobering reminder of mortality to me, and to all of us really, as we look at the memorial reminders of those who have died in the past year here in front of the altar. We all have happy memories of those who’ve been close to us, who have died. There’s no escaping that experience for anyone, unless we close our eyes and deny reality!
On Tuesday this week, in a packed church at East St Kilda, we farewelled Barry Moran at 88, a friend and priest for 65 years. I quote one brief tribute: “He always gave more emphasis to pastoral needs than to law, and was a major support to many… A truly holy man, blessed with common sense, who achieved so much.” (Laurie Collins cfc). (He even organized university camps for Catholic students, which I attended, back in early 1970).
Then there was a very sad farewell to smiling Shelley Beecham, a universally loved teacher at St Bernard’s, and, more recently, Kolbe College, after persevering with teaching and mentoring to the end of third term this year, despite her illness. It would have been her 52nd birthday today, so difficult for her husband Brad and sons Thomas and Corey. Brad texted me to say: “The boys and I are going to have her favourite dinner to mark it and we are doing as best we can to look after each other”. It makes us appreciate the preciousness and fragility of life, which can be so unfair.
On Thursday, it was time to say goodbye (so to speak!) to one of the greats, in Sister of Charity, Josephine, who taught here at St Therese’s as Sister Luigi in the early 1940’s, during World War II! I came to know her well in the last 8 years, so I’m the ‘Johnny Come Lately’ here, but it was a privilege to celebrate her Requiem Mass. She only got to 107!! Her religious profession motto was ‘God’s Will. Amen’, and she lived by that throughout her long life.
I quote her deep and wise concluding words to her life story in 2012: “The wheels of time grind away the years, and now as each one passes, I face the reality of a final closure, but I am happy to wait in peace, with no regrets. Life is spoken of as a tapestry. I would like to hope that in mine, with the threads of faith, hope, love, prayer, integrity, service, availability and compassion dominate. There will be many puckers, knots and tangles in the pattern, but when it is cut from the loom and unrolled in the presence of God, I will be hoping for the prayers of others, to erase the imperfections of the offering.” Although, it has to be said not too many imperfections here!
Her entire life was Christ-centred, and so, always directed towards others throughout her life, in religious community, in education and beyond, she engaging with enthusiasm, wisdom and wit, in a life of love and faithful service. Sister Jo managed this so well, maintaining an obvious spiritual depth in her life, but also engaging with the wider world, in all its mystery and wonder.
And so we gave thanks for the love and life of Jo, our dearest friend, as we commend her to the God of love and mercy in whom she believed, and the Jesus, on whom her life was centred and lived out as a faithful follower and friend.
Today’s Gospel, in particular, reminds us of life’s unpredictable and challenges, but with the reassurance that those who face up with faith, making the most of each day we are given, will come through in the end, strengthened by Jesus, who walks with those who believe in him and follow his way.
So let’s not get too worried about the scary stuff, and get on with life with a sense of joy and love and peace, despite the hassles and blocks that can come our way. As Sister Jo has said: “If the Sisters of Charity met an obstacle, they’d just go around it or find another way!” And i am sure the Mercy Sisters would say the same!!
For theological enlightenment, I conclude with the Jerome Biblical Commentary description of today’s Gospel text: “Jesus exhorts his disciples to perseverance amid duress. Luke uses eschatological material for hortatory purposes.”!! Brendan Byrne SJ does warn me, but too late now! “No wise preacher, of course, wouldf mention the word ‘eschatology’ from the pulpit… (It) refers to teaching or speculation about what is going to happen in the future”!! So, let us be encouraging of each other, and hopeful about the future!
john hannon 16th November 2025