When Jesus rose from the dead, he showed his disciples that even death will be overcome by God. In today’s Gospel, he expands that to include most of the bad things that can happen to both non-believers and disciples alike.

Starting with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus mentions most of the scary things that people thought would bring the end of the world. He gives two pieces of advice. First, don’t be fooled by anyone who says this is the end or who claims to be Jesus. When Jesus comes again, there will be no doubt about who it is. You won’t have to learn about it on the evening news. Second, don’t be terrified by natural disasters or wars. Wars, epidemics, earthquakes, and the rest happen throughout history and will happen again.

As disciples, we hope we will respond to disasters not with fear, but with love. Believers can voluntarily help those affected, comfort the survivors, or help rebuild their homes or schools. You may choose to give at a blood drive or donate to one of the charities that help disaster victims. People have welcomed strangers into their homes after a flood or hurricane has destroyed a neighborhood.

There is a saying that “no good deed goes unpunished.” Jesus never says that his disciples would be given awards for their acts of charity. In the second half of the Gospel, he says that his disciples would be persecuted, hated, and even betrayed by their own families. Jesus has advice for that situation, too. He presents it as an opportunity to give testimony, or witness, to our faith. His advice sounds strange at first. Unlike a modern lawyer, who practices with a witness before they go into the courtroom, Jesus tells us “not to prepare your defense,” but to let him give us the words. I suspect that he means not to worry about what you might say, lest you become scared speechless. If you let him, Jesus will “prepare” you with the scripture readings, your priests’ homilies, and your own prayer life. All of these can help open us to the gifts of the Spirit, who helps us proclaim our faith without fear.             -Tom Schmidt, Diocesan Publications

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TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION

We are faced with strong and disturbing readings today that hold a certain fascination, since they seem at first glance to be blueprints for future inevitable wars and hardship. A fundamentalist interpretation focuses on this aspect. Yet we hear them at our Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, which infuses them with hope and optimism. Rather than dreading the future, today’s liturgy assures us that God is with us in all of life’s inevitable trials, and that we have a role in shaping the outcome of human history. Occasionally, some Christians have attempted to decode these readings for an exact measure of the world’s end, but they have thus far been disappointed.

“Nothing lasts forever” is a lyric from a Broadway show. Stars fall from the sky, leaves wither and fall, mountains wash into the sea, human projects and governments totter and collapse with great regularity. Today’s liturgy opposes this idea as incomplete, reminding us that Christ has made a permanent change in human history, and that life in him is life forever. Rather than inviting us to throw in the towel, today’s liturgy strengthens us for acts of goodness and grace in our families, communities, and world.                  —James Field, Diocesan Publications

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Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769-1852) – November 18

Pope Benedict once declared himself struck by how remarkably diverse our American saints are—some native born: Mother Seton, Katherine Drexel, Kateri Tekakwitha; most, like many Catholics today, immigrants: Padre Serra, Bishop Neumann, Mother Cabrini, Rose Philippine Duchesne. When the French Revolution that dispersed her convent ended, Rose joined the Religious of the Sacred Heart, volunteering for their United States mission, opening the first free school west of the Mississippi. Only after lengthy service as Superior did Rose—now seventy-one—realize her life’s dream, undertaking a mission among the Potawatomi Indians. When some worried about her advanced age and failing health, the Jesuit mission leader overruled them: “She must come! She may not be able to do much work, but she’ll bring the mission success by praying for us!” Frustrated by her inability to learn their languages, Rose nevertheless “spoke” to the Native Americans by her prayerful presence before the tabernacle. “Quah-kah-ka-num-ad,” they named her, “Woman-Who-Prays-Always”—their way of bestowing the title the Church would later make official: saint!

—Peter Scagnelli, Diocesan Publications