At that time Jesus said to his disciples: 20 "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is near.

 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples: 20 "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is near. 21 Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains; those who are in the city must stay away; and those who are in the country must not enter the city. 22 For these are days of vengeance, so that everything that is written in the Scriptures may be fulfilled. 23 Woe to pregnant women and to those who are nursing babies in those days, for there will be great calamity in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will be killed by the sword and taken captive to all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the unbelievers until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled. 25 There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On earth the nations will be in anguish, terrified by the roar of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint with fear at the thought of what is going to happen to the world, because the powers of heaven will be shaken. shaken. 27Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and glory. 28 When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near." — Word of Salvation.

Reflection

1. The first thing to be observed is the condemnation of Jerusalem throughout the time of the pagans. In it, we can already glimpse a much greater judgment, the universal judgment, as a prefiguration of the end: “They will be killed by the sword and taken captive to all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the infidels…”. The fact is that, in fact, all nations will also be judged, all peoples will face the final decisive moment: “There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars. On the earth, the nations will be in anguish, terrified by the roar of the sea and the waves.” Current times are marked by the grotesque advance of the waters of the sea, by the lack of control of nature, the disappearance of water, by wars, by constant and uncontrolled violence, by the abuse of power, exploitation, corruption, robberies and murders. In addition, the devaluation of The human person, whose dignity is constantly being wounded: the death of innocent people, the self-interested exploitation of youth, the devaluation of families, the destruction of children’s identities, and the abandonment of the elderly. Iniquity reigns on the throne of many hearts. God has been “dethroned” by humanity, thirsty for novelty in all areas of its life and completely consumed by materialism and unbridled pleasure at any cost.

2. The day of judgment will come, and Jesus Christ will certainly be the absolute criterion. For those who chose Him, salvation; for those who rejected Him, condemnation. The coming of the Son of Man will be a source of hope and liberation for those who live according to Jesus Christ, for all who do not contaminate themselves with the errors of the Jews and other peoples full of idolatry. Choices will determine the success or failure of the history of each people and each person. Those who chose Life, the Truth, the Way, which was given by the Father to humanity, will have the final judgment as the most important salvific encounter; which will be a source of extreme joy.

3. The end of time is identified with the coming of Jesus, a liberating presence. It is the moment of encounter between Christians and the Savior. Christians do not think of the end as misfortune, despair or destruction. On the contrary, for them, the end will be marked by the highest beginning of a full life in communion with God. Generally, when faced with the death of a loved one, those who do not have faith despair, it seems that the end of the world has already arrived, life loses its meaning; the Christian, at this moment, feels the pain of separation, weeps for the loved one, but with confidence and hope, faith and love, faces the moment of pain with determination, because he knows that the Lord is Life, and that the life of all belongs to Him and will reign with Him forever and ever; He will not allow His own to be expelled from His presence.

4. The Christian is the true sign and place of transformation. He faces the world with confidence, faith, love and perseverance; he always finds a reason to overcome all challenges, always finds true means to continue revealing to the world the beauty of belonging totally to the Lord; He does not lose heart in the face of great suffering, despite feeling it, but he abandons himself to the guidance of the Spirit of God, he cries, but remains standing, he thinks about running away, but does not do so because there is no other Word of eternal Life besides Jesus, nor any other love so great and so fascinating, nothing comparable to the One who made him His own. The Christian is light, salt, a sign of hope and the certainty that the world will still be transformed by love, truth and faith. Therefore, we must act prudently like serpents, prepared so that our heads are not cut off, that is, our faith is destroyed, and respond with the simplicity of doves, that is, with meekness, tolerance, respect and hope. We will win if we are oases of God wherever we are.

A big and affectionate hug.