“See that you not be deceived”

At today’s liturgy for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time we heard a challenging passage from Luke’s Gospel proclaimed. Here is the text, to refresh our memory:

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “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 down.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

“Before all this happens, however,
they will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” (Luke 21:5-19)

At our parish here in Toronto, the main celebrant was joined by a concelebrating priest who was also the homilist. This priest’s homily attempted to break open the Word by discussing how even though we all have to die, there is, beyond all this, eternal life. It sounded, essentially, like any funeral homily I have ever heard.

After this main homily, the main celebrant offered his own brief reflection, choosing to psychologize the first section by “translating” Jesus’ words into the following: “You think these stones and buildings are beautiful? Look inside yourself and you will see true beauty.”

Is it only in North America that homilists have the ability — and the audacity — to completely distort the challenging message of Jesus into depoliticized and comforting “words of wisdom” to make us feel good? Is it not painfully obvious that this gospel passage is not about looking beyond natural death, and it is certainly not about “looking inside yourself” in order to see “true beauty?” It is about persecution, about taking up the cross, about martyrdom. It is Jesus’ prediction about the fate of his Church. Are we the Church that Jesus envisioned?

It’s a shame these two priests did not seem to remember that two days ago was the 18th anniversary of the brutal martyrdom of the Salvadoran Jesuits, their housekeeper, and her daughter at the hands of the Salvadoran military with the support of the U.S. government. Acknowledging this dangerous memory would have been an appropriate act of solidarity with the still suffering peoples of Central America, and would have provided for a perfect illustration of Jesus’ words and little more illuminating homily than the therapeutic lesson-of-the-day that we got instead.