Daily Catholic Lectio
Thu, 27 November ‘25
Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday
Daniel 6:11–27. Luke 21:20–28
“Jerusalem Will Be Trampled”
The Gospel places before us three scenes woven together: the fall of Jerusalem, the imagery of the end times, and the response of believers at the coming of the Son of Man. All three converge into a single invitation—to read history with faith, to endure the present with courage, and to await the future with hope.
1. “Jerusalem Will Be Trampled” — A Prophecy that became History
Jesus’ words about Jerusalem’s destruction are stark: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies…” (Lk 21:20). Forty years later, this unfolded with terrifying accuracy. In AD 70, during the First Jewish–Roman War, the Roman armies led by Titus and Tiberius Julius razed the city and destroyed the Temple. Five agonising months of siege crushed a people who had known glory, worship, and divine promise.
The historian Josephus, an eyewitness, paints an unforgettable picture: “The scene of destruction was ghastly. Places once filled with trees and gardens looked like a desert. Any foreigner who had admired Judah would now lament its desolation. The signs of beauty were heaped up like refuse. One who had seen the city before could never imagine it again. Even one who lived in it could scarcely recognise it.”
Luke wrote his Gospel in the shadow of these ruins. He may have seen the remnants of the siege, the sufferings of women and children, and the humiliations endured by the survivors. As a historian-theologian, he records Jesus’ words through a lens shaped by tragedy. This narrative device—retrojection—helps early Christians understand that events which shook their world had already been foreseen by Christ. Yet it is equally possible that Jesus truly foresaw the fall of the city He loved.
2. The End-Time Imagery — A World Longing for Renewal
The fascination with the world’s end was widespread in the first century. Stoic philosophers believed the cosmos would last 3,000 years before renewing itself in a cycle of fire. Many in Jesus’ time wondered if this cosmic turning point was near. Luke echoes this spirit: signs in the heavens, nations in turmoil, seas roaring, people fainting with fear.
But these images are not meant to frighten. They express a world aching for justice, tired of oppression, waiting for God to intervene.
3. The Coming of the Son of Man — Hope for the Persecuted
Early Christians, often persecuted and powerless, looked for the Son of Man’s return. When He comes, their suffering would cease, and their dignity would be restored. Thus Jesus’ final exhortation is not fear but courage: “Stand upright and raise your heads, because your redemption is near.” The language is that of a soldier ready at attention—alert, disciplined, unafraid.
4. What Does This Gospel Say to Us Today?
a. Rise and Fall are Part of History. Empires rise, empires fall. Jerusalem fell, and later Rome fell too. Human power is never absolute. Yet a troubling question remains: why did innocent children suffer? The Gospel does not give an easy explanation. It simply reminds us that death, vulnerability, and change are part of the human condition. We are born fragile, and we die fragile.
b. Accepting Our Own “Last Days”. We each have an “end time”—our final season of life. Fear diminishes when we accept this truth calmly. Knowing that endings are part of God’s design frees us from panic. What we cannot control, we can surrender.
c. “Stand Up, Lift Your Heads” — Live Ready. In a world clouded by violence, uncertainty, and moral confusion, we are called to stand firm—upright, watchful, anchored in Christ. Readiness is not anxiety; it is disciplined trust.
5. The First Reading: God is Still at Work
Daniel survives the lions’ den because he walks in innocence and fidelity. The lesson is perennial: evil never has the final word. Human malice can roar like a lion, but it cannot overcome the God who saves.
“Jerusalem will be trampled”—yes. Yet faith was not trampled. Hope was not trampled. God’s promise was not trampled. When our own lives feel besieged, when old securities collapse, when the future feels uncertain, the Gospel whispers the same assurance Jesus gave His disciples: “Stand upright. Raise your heads. Your redemption is drawing near.”
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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