Daily Catholic Lectio. Sun, 16 November ’25. The Other Side of Life

Daily Catholic Lectio

Sun, 16 November ‘25

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

IX World Day of the Poor

Malachi 4:1-2a. 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12. Luke 21:5-9

The Other Side of Life

The Word today invites us to look beyond what the eye sees and to perceive the other side of life: the side God sees, the side grace reveals, the side hope sustains. Much of life is like the back of a leaf, the hidden side of a mountain, or the unseen face of the sun—real, present, but unnoticed. Today’s readings open that hidden side for us.

1. Malachi: One Fire, Two Effects

The prophet Malachi speaks at the close of the prophetic tradition. He announces the Day of the Lord—a day when God will both purify and heal. The same fire burns the arrogant and becomes light and medicine for the righteous. One reality, two sides.

Life is never one-dimensional. What appears as threat on one side may be grace on the other. What feels like loss may hide healing. To see both sides is wisdom.

2. Paul: Work as the Other Side of Waiting

In Thessalonica, some believers became obsessed with the end times. Gripped by urgency and fear, they abandoned work, burdened others, and lived irresponsibly. Paul reminds them of his own witness—he labored day and night, not demanding privileges but offering an example.

They saw only the end of the world; Paul invites them to see the dignity of ordinary life. One side spoke of destruction; the other side held purpose, discipline, and joy. Faithfulness is found not in prediction but in perseverance.

3. Jesus: Beyond Destruction, the Promise of Presence

The disciples admire the beauty of the Temple. Jesus looks at the same stones and sees their impermanence. He speaks of wars, disasters, persecutions—yet He immediately adds the hidden side: “I will give you words and wisdom… not a hair of your head will perish.” Suffering is one side; fidelity is the other. Fear is one side; God’s companionship is the other. The Lord reveals both so that we may stand firm.

Three Obstacles That Blind Us

(a) One-sided or Uni-polarised thinking – We cling to light and deny darkness, or cling to sorrow and forget hope. Life, like a coin, needs both sides to carry value.

(b) Restless haste or paralysing laziness – Like the Thessalonians, we rush to conclusions or refuse to act. Both distort the truth. God’s time teaches steadiness.

(c) Fear – Jesus warns us that fear blocks our vision. When fear dominates, we see only the collapsing stones, never the God who stands with us.

Wisdom begins when we let go of these and learn to read life whole.

Seeing the Other Side: A Christian Calling

The saints learned this art. Jesus, in His passion, saw beyond the cross to the Resurrection. Those who cultivate this vision can praise God in every season, singing with the psalmist: “Sing to the Lord with the harp; lift up your voice with joyful song.”

The 9th World Day of the Poor: “Lord, You Are My Hope!”

Today, the Church marks the 9th World Day of the Poor, centred on the cry of the psalmist:

“Lord, You are my hope!” (Ps 71:5) This day comes to us shortly after Pope Leo XIV’s exhortation Dilexit te. In it, we are reminded that the deepest poverty is not measured by possessions but by the absence of God—when a person feels unseen, unloved, unaccompanied.

The Holy Father urges the Church to move from indifference to concern, from judgment to genuine upliftment, from charity as occasional giving to charity as consistent accompaniment. This reflects the Gospel vision: the other side of poverty is not wealth, but dignity; not pity, but relationship; not charity alone, but solidarity.

To celebrate this day in the light of Dilexit te means: To see Christ in the poor, not as objects of our generosity, but as bearers of grace. To transform our judgments into actions that empower.

To recognise that every poor person carries a story, a struggle, and a hope—often hidden from us, like the unnoticed side of a coin.

Let us make this day concrete: By choosing one poor person or family near us, offering not just assistance but presence, not just resources but companionship.

Conclusion

Life is always more than what appears. Behind every fear lies God’s fidelity. Behind every trial lies His promise. Behind every poor person lies the face of Christ. And behind all our uncertainties stands the Lord who whispers: “By your endurance you will gain your lives.”

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy