Daily Catholic Lectio
Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Tuesday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Daniel 2:31-45 Luke 21:5-11
Identifying the signs!
Two events stand as background to today’s gospel reading: (a) The destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem; and (b) The imminent parousia (the waiting for the Second Coming of Christ). The Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed when Luke wrote his gospel (cf. AD 75-85). And the anticipation of the end of the world was high. And the Roman invasion created a lot of fear and anxiety among the people. A lot of confusion and terror were in the air.
The gospel reading is Jesus’ exhortation to the disciples on responding to such a crisis:
(a) Accepting Jesus as the New Temple. The Temple which has been built with elegant stones and votive offerings, will be replaced by Jesus himself.
(b) Identifying and interpreting the signs of the times. Whatever people experience is a sign to be identified and interpreted. The disciples must keep their poise despite the negative course of events.
(c) Waiting. Jesus tells the disciples that the end will not be immediate. A disciple must remain patient and wait.
In the first reading, Daniel, offering an interpretation of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, tells him that God will establish a new reign that will see no end. Daniel’s interpretation of dreams was a way of identifying and interpreting the signs.
From the pandemic to the war and to every natural disaster, everything is a sign to be interpreted. These signs give us the message that everything will come to an end. They make us live our lives to the fullest.
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The Catechism of the Catholic Church invites us to see and discern everything in the light of the conscience (cf. nn. 1777-82).
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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