There is a song whose lyrics I think are very much applicable in today’s gospel that we have just heard. The song goes this way: “Paano kung wala kana. Paano ba ang mag-isa…Kundi mo lang ako sinta paano kung wala kana?”
I’m sure you already heard this song in the past. There are things that we consider very precious to us. Life is meaningless if without them. For example, for husband and wife, the most precious thing for them is their family and each other. For the drunkard, may be a bottle of beer or Tanduay rum; for those who like cockfighting, may be their fighting cock and for the gamblers, their playing cards or mahjong pieces and many more. If you ask me, my most precious thing in my life is not my priesthood but the greater love of God in me that I experience always throughout my life and that without it my life is worthless and meaningless.
If we ask the Jews, the most precious thing for them is their Temple. They built this for fifty years. It was the most beautiful temple at that time and full of adornments and regality. But when Christ predicts its destruction by saying: “All that you see here, the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown away.” After saying this, they asked Him: “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” Because for them the temple is associated with the presence of God, the center of their lives and if this destroyed, the disciples think this would mean, the end of the world. This prediction happened because historically, after forty years, it was destroyed when Roman armies attacked Jerusalem and completely destroyed it in the year 70 A.D.
For the Jews, as what I had said, the destruction of the temple was the equivalent of the end of the world. Just like us, if we lose something important, we panic and we lose interest. A friend of mine had nearly committed suicide because her boyfriend broke her up, but at the end, they came back into each other’s arms and got married and became a happy family even until now.
Also, in our world today, we see that there is a proliferation of nuclear weapons. There is a contest among nations in making the best nuclear weapons. The purpose, according to them is for defense, but in reality, it is for killing innocent people. There is an unceasing destruction of the environment where virgin forests are murdered little by little. Transnational and multinational corporations whose purpose is for development are polluting our water and air. There is what we call international political unrest or cold war between nations. In our country today we experience natural and man-made calamities like earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions where thousands of lives were banished. Killings, kidnap-for-ransom, drug addiction, prostitution, drug trafficking and many more are rampant. Because of these, many people are afraid that the end of the world is approaching. There are also some who predict that the end of the world or Parousia will happen at this particular day and time.
For example, a Korean pastor predicted that on October 28, 1992 would be the Day of Rupture. It was known because it was published in the newspaper, announced in radio stations and reported in television stations. According to that pastor that at exactly eleven o’clock in the evening Christ will come and bring those Christians who believed in Him and became born-again into heaven and those people who remain will experience trouble and chaos. But it did not happen. It is because Jesus said: “Take care not to be misled. Many will come in my name…”
My dear friends do not be misled by this kind of phenomenon and those people because this happen not only once but many times. What we can do only is to always prepare ourselves because we do not know when this will happen.
All these things I mentioned bring us back in today’s gospel where Jesus in the process of foretelling the destruction of the temple, he is also referring to the fact that He will return at the end of times. When? That’s the thing we do not know.
Today’s gospel invites us to reflect on the end of the world, not in an atmosphere of panic or fear but in an atmosphere of Christian commitment and Christian confidence by using our talents and resources not for selfish purposes but for the purpose of building God’s kingdom on earth.
At the end let us reflect this one:
With each lack of kindness, I caused pains to my loved ones
With each lack of respect, I am not educated much less a Christian
With each look of contempt, someone suffers a blow
With each time I refuse to forgive a portion of my egoism grows
With each resentment I show, I reveal a part of my wounded pride
With each bitter word I say, I lose points for heaven
With each sin I commit, I tear a page of the gospel
With each time I fail to pray, I lose a word of graces
With every tear I wipe away, I make my brother happy
With each smile I give, I generate hope
With each rose I offer, the angels say, “AMEN!”