November 14, Thirty-Third Sunday 

The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice. — Psalm 98:(see 9) 

Mass reading: Malachi 3:19-20 / 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 / Luke 21:5-19 

Truth in Advertising 

When I read today’s Gospel, my first thought was something along the lines of: “This is your marketing plan?” Jesus lays out one terrifying thing after another — war and earthquakes, famine and plagues, and, even worse than all that, martyrdom for some of His followers. As St. Teresa of Avila once said, “If this is how you treat your friends, it’s no wonder you have so few!” 

And yet, those earliest Christians defended their faith in Jesus Christ despite persecution, despite promises of painful deaths. These people knew Jesus. Would they have gone to their deaths for anything less than the Messiah? Their witness then is a reminder to us now that this faith journey of ours won’t necessarily be easy but it is the path to Truth. Jesus is the Way. The only way. 

Prayer: Jesus, I trust You to lead me home, even when the road is foreboding.