33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022
Mal 3:19-20 Thess 3:7-12 Luke 21:5-19
The Gospel of today’s Mass is frightening and upsetting, even for those with the strongest Faith. But when we come to the end of that reading there is comfort for all of us who are disciples because the Lord assures us that not even a hair of our head will be lost. It is the assurance of a merciful God. And for us, who have been given the gift of Faith in our merciful God the assurance of the Prophet Malachi (1st Reading) endures; “the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays”.
We read this Teaching from Saint Luke’s Gospel, which has been our Gospel of this liturgical Year. In Chapter 6:36 of St Luke’s Gospel the Lord teaches us to ‘Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful’ and this seems to be the underlining theme behind all of what Saint Luke records in his gospel. Luke seems to be the most ‘human’ of the evangelists. He speaks about ordinary people in what always seem very ordinary situations. He addresses our fears and concerns. His is a sort of ‘domestic’ Gospel; e.g. in every chapter of Luke’s gospel there is mention of eating, of food or drink, of meals, of table fellowship. There is always a situation with which we can identify.
We can all remember the wonderful parables which Jesus taught – the Prodigal Son; the one who went away and squandered his inheritance and yet was welcomed back by a merciful and forgiving father: the Good Samaritan, the one who had pity on the victim of a severe mugging and paid for his safety and recovery: the Good Shepherd, who leaves 99 behind and goes to find the one that was lost. In each of these parables Jesus teaches us something of the merciful, forgiving and compassionate love of God.
There are stories too of Jesus which express very vividly how he acted out the Mercy of God in His ministry. Very simply He worked a wonderful miracle in order to feed 5000 who were hungry. He healed the servant of the Centurion who was so humble that he didn’t feel worthy that Jesus would come to his house. He had pity on a widow whose son had died and gave him back to her alive. He called Zacchaeus, who was regarded as a sinner, down from the tree and went to eat at his house. Mercy was at the outset of the Ministry of Jesus, Mercy was the core and heart of all that Jesus did in the name of God the Father.
So, while we must listen carefully to what the Lord teaches about the end of time the message of today’s readings for us should be of assurance that our God is a loving God who promises us that our ‘endurance will win us our lives’. That endurance entails us ‘being merciful’ ourselves, ‘as our heavenly Father is merciful’. How is it possible for us?
Pope Francis in his Decree announcing the Year of Mercy in 2015 gives us the answer; “Chosen to be the Mother of God, Mary, from the outset, was prepared by the love of God to be the Ark of the Covenant between God and us. She treasured divine mercy in her heart in perfect harmony with her Son, Jesus”.
Look at her trudging over the Hill Country to bring help to those in need; look at her having pity when the wedding feast ran out of wine; look at her finding opportunities to be an instrument of Mercy and Compassion. Learn from her and pray for the Grace to imitate her.