Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons: November 16th

Nov 15th, 2025

From Beatus of Facundus

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
A form of behaviour

The writer of 2 Thessalonians is clear on what behaviour is required of us as Christians in our daily lives, reminding us of something we indulge in far too often and suggesting that we change our manner of behaviour, so as not to be idle and refrain from being busybodies:' We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others. Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food'. (2 Thess 3: 11,12)

The allusion to food is further explained by the context of work; some people are not working for their keep but are lazy, living by scrounging, doing nothing or little for others. Instead we are encouraged to be like the apostles who worked for their food and were not a burden on the community. In one sense this highlights our common enterprise of charitable works, the long tradition of care for those who are the really needy. What we have we share with others, particularly in active concern for the least of all, those who are the poor and outcast! These are they whom Jesus leaves to us as the abiding legacy of his own very real presence in others. For these are the ones who on that last day we shall find were and are the real encounter with the face of Christ in our own everyday existence.

The two happenings

This pragmatic approach of faith intimately linked to our everyday behaviour, is something of greater value than we at first recognise. For implicit in our second reading's admonition is a call to concentrate on our behaviour and be an example for others. When it comes to momentous events it is often the way we have directed our own lives, becoming gradually adjusted to the familiar, disciplined rhythm and pattern of our own living faith that helps form our personalities so that we might daily live out the gospel. This matters because the pattern we live by may also help us cope when difficulties arise.

In our first reading there is a focus on two events that reveals why we need to imitate those who are good examples, much as our second reading from Thessalonians tells us. Our first reading from Malachi contrasts two distinct happenings, one bad, one good:

This bad happening is this: 'For the day is coming, blazing like an oven,
when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble,
And the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts'.( Malachi 3:19)

Here is the shock tactic of the scriptures laid bare before us, of a reckoning, a bad happening, when evil and arrogant persons will face divine justice; but also in our second good happening, a hope handed out to us; that if we really live out our faith, try hard to open ourselves to a relationship with God, and imitate those good people like the apostles, there will be for us another form of justice, a living, loving one:

'But for you who fear my name, the sun of justice
will arise with healing in its wings'. ( Malachi 3: 20a)

Perseverance

The gospel takes us into strange territory, an apocalyptic vision given us by Jesus of the destruction of the Temple and the end times. This is the kind of imagery much loved by those who love hell-fire preachers. What we tend to miss about this passage, is that the final pieces of Luke's gospel were written c 85 CE, after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE. As the Temple stones were now rubble, what his hearers would have understood by his words is more a comment on the impermanence of human achievement, and the necessity of focusing on something else. What this is does not appear to be directly specified, but some commentators point out that the context of the destroyed Temple may well be replaced by that of the poor widow in the who is mentioned just before this extract, in other words the permanent fixture of those who need our love and care, those 'living stones' who are always with us !

We need to be careful of applying this fascinating glimpse of Jesus' apocalyptic imagery today. He uses a language that is not even original, so how are we to interpret what he says? The heart of his warning gives us the two contexts, that of false prophets and bad events, which occur in every age. What we are to do, says Jesus, is not to listen to false prophets; '"See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.'* Do not follow them!' (Lk 21:8)

But he then tells us not to be afraid when these things happen:

'When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end'.(Lk 21:9) In other parts of scripture Jesus also tells us we do not know the day nor hour.

Being prepared is the way through this, but preparation requires a virtue that Jesus asks of us, that is perseverance. May that gift be ours now and in the times to come, for perseverance encourages strength in others, who see our fidelity and love for Jesus and perhaps are touched by his presence with us. 'By your perseverance you will secure your lives'.(Lk21:19)

Lectio Divina

A quote from Pope Francis:

"The Word of God entered with 'patience' in the moment of the Incarnation and thus unto death on the Cross. Patience and perseverance. We do not have a 'magic wand' for everything, but we do have our trust in the Lord Who accompanies us and never abandons us. … Let us do good, but without expected to be recompensed. Let us sow and offer witness. Our witness is the beginning of an evangelisation that touches the heart and transforms is. Words without example are of no use! Our witness is that brings and gives validity to our words."

- Audience with Pontifical Council for the Promotion of New Evangelization, Sept. 20, 2014

Psalm 98(97) Cantate Domino

Sing a new song to the Lord
for he has worked wonders.
His right and hand his holy arm
have brought salvation.

The Lord has made know his salvation;
has shown his justice to the nations.

He has remembered his truth and love
for the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
ring out your joy.

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp
with the sound of music.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn
acclaim the King, the Lord.

Let the sea and all within it, thunder;
the world, and all its peoples.

Let the rivers clap their hands
and the hills ring out their joy

at the presence of the Lord: for he comes,
he comes to rule the earth.