Perseverance Wins the Race

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Jesus was standing in one of the courtyards of the Temple watching people as they come and go. Then he overheard some people marveling at the beauty of the Temple. They were not talking to God; they were talking to themselves about the costly stones and votive offering in the Temple. They were not praising God; they were praising the Temple. They were not glorifying God; they were glorifying the Temple. They did not marvel at God’s beauty and majesty, but that of the Temple. Jesus released the bombshell— “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.” Jesus’ listeners must have been infuriated, but he was right. In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed the Temple, and leveled the city of Jerusalem.

Speaking further, Jesus said: “Nation will rise up 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.” To those who believe in him, he said, “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.” Once again, these prophecies came to pass like his prophesy of the destruction of the Temple. So many early Christians were persecuted, tortured, and killed by some Roman emperors. Emperor Nero, for instance, destroyed the lives of so many Christians. He was so ruthless to Christians that the Christian writer, Tertullian accused him of the being the first to persecute the Christians. Peter and Paul, like many other disciples of Jesus were killed. But in all these tribulations, the early Christians did not give up. They believed in the promise of Jesus to be with them until the end of time. 

Everything that Jesus said in today’s gospel (Luke 21:5-19) has come to pass, and some of them are still happening today. We still witness wars; nation still rise up against nation; hunger and famine still devastate life; earthquakes, wild fire, hurricane, typhoon etc. still happen. But in the face of these calamities, Jesus counsels “Do not be terrified” (Luke 21:9). Do not be afraid means do not surrender to life’s misfortune. It means do not quit when it gets difficult, rough and tough. Why? Because “By your perseverance you will secure your lives” so said Jesus. Those who quit the race do not win. Quitters do not get to the finish line. They lack the perseverance to endure till morning. They give up before sunrise. The Bible says “There may be mourning in the night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Those who do not persevere cannot see the joy of a new day.

Friends, Jesus never promised us a crossless life. He never promised a rosy life without thorns. As a matter of fact, opting to follow him could expose us to ridicule and persecution. But if we remain steadfast and faithful till the very end, even when it is very difficult to do so, we will be saved. If we continue to be his arm in the world, even when it is not encouraging to do so, we will be saved. If we continue to be the voice of the Lord in the world, speaking truth, peace and justice, even when we are not being appreciated, we will be saved. No one likes misfortune. I do not like it either. I want my life to be free from all problems and troubles. Incidentally, such a path is not the path that leads to life. If there is no cross, there is no crown. If you have golden jewelries, think of the painful process a piece of gold goes through before it is finally purified. That’s the life of a Christian. All the troubles we experience in our lifetime are our passing through purification. Like gold, we must be heated before we become the shinning piece of God’s ornaments. If we persevere, we will be saved. But if we quit, we will quit our place in heaven.