The Catholic Calendar for Tuesday, November 22, 2005
The Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Saint Cecilia, virgin and martyr

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Daniel 2:31-45
Daniel 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61
Luke 21:5-11

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

The Jews in the time of Christ were always looking for signs. In today’s gospel they ask again for a sign that will be given signaling the destruction of the temple. Jesus tells them that there are many signs.

In our modern world of high-speed communications, we hear news daily of wars, insurrections, earthquakes, famines and plagues. In this morning’s news one does not have to look far to read or hear about a magnitude seven earthquake in Japan this month and in Pakistan the month before, the threat of a flu pandemic, and the wars in Iraq and elsewhere. Two thousand years ago these stories would have been passed by word of mouth and were months if not years old before they were widely spread. Today, we get it live and in color instantaneously, twenty four hours a day. Are these the signs Jesus spoke of?

The answer is that this is really not important. Jesus tells us to not be deceived and to not be terrified. No, we are to steer the course our Lord set us on, with Him clearly in focus, with Him and His kingdom our aim. Remember Lot and his wife? Lot’s wife turned to look at the destruction and was turned into a pillar of salt, hardened and useless. But Lot, keeping his eyes fixed where the Lord told him, escaped and lived

Focus your attention on the Lord, ignore the signs of the times, and you shall live in the company of the Lord just as Lot did.

- Don Claunch, SFO
(dlclaunch at bresnan dot net)

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