Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Reflection 2019
Author: Luke Horner, Member Ephphatha Community
November 17, 2019
"Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you.”
God promises the best for us. God promises the goodness, love, and purity that He embodies. Salvation has been promised to us because of the sacrifice Jesus made. But our salvation is not here yet. The reality of now is that life challenges us in new and unexpected ways every day.
At times, I am extremely impatient to get to the goodness God has promised. Some days are filled with frustration, impatience, loneliness, or boredom. At other times I am overwhelmed with all that is expected of me. Relationships change, and sometimes I feel betrayed by those around me. Life is really a challenge in those moments.
At other moments, though, I have the grace to see the goodness that God is actively placing in my life. In the lonely days, God may place a few kind words from a stranger. In a day full of frustration, God places moments of silence to calm the busyness. On days when I am impatient to get through a dull or seemingly never-ending task, God calls me to hold onto the most stressful moments, taking them as learning experiences.
The readings today talk about how God will bring goodness and salvation in time, but we will have to go through hardship to get there. God’s justice will reign but only after wars and disaster. This reminds us of the wars and disasters of life that may tug at our hearts and cause us to lose faith. It is true that God will be waiting on the other side of hard times with goodness and beauty for our lives, but God is also sowing the seeds of goodness even as we battle and struggle. On our worst days, God is working in our lives to set up learning experiences, new opportunities, and blossoming relationships. As doors seem to close all around us, God is opening a door to the most beautiful path.
Mary felt a piercing pain through her heart as she watched her son die on the cross, but after three days, joy and awe filled her soul as she encountered her son once more. The Marianist founders lived through hard political times in France, but they were able to create lasting beauty that continues to grow in our lives by finding new communities. They worked to bring goodness and light to a challenging time. We all go through hard times; some break us to our core. However, God is always working, and God is love and goodness. Then, we experience the beautiful days when we see that goodness emerge, and joy fills our hearts.
It is true that many awesome sights and wonders await us in the future, but can we also be open to the goodness and beauty blossoming in the present.