The Certainty that Overcomes Fear
Julián Carrón - We are approaching the end of the liturgical year, and today’s readings address the theme of the end times. Everything Jesus announces can be frightening: from the destruction of the Temple, of which “not one stone will be left upon another that will not be thrown down,” to the arrival of “many” who “will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ But Jesus is not afraid to announce what will happen.
He has already prepared us for all these events by replacing the Temple with His body. After three days, He rebuilt the Temple of His body with the Resurrection, laying a foundation that no unforeseen event can destroy. Regarding those who will come in His name, He Himself tells us how to behave: “Do not follow them!” He does not even hide from us what might frighten us most—wars and revolutions: “When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be terrified.” His victory over death will allow us to face everything with His living, risen company.
Even persecutions “because of my name” will not be spared us. Quite the contrary. “You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and some of you will be killed; you will be hated by all because of my name.” It is surprising that Jesus is not concerned about the prospect that also awaits His followers: “So do not prepare your defense beforehand.” It is precisely in the midst of these events that we will be able to grasp who Jesus is: “I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” Not only does He promise that He will take care of our defense and that our adversaries “will not be able to resist or contradict,” but that “not a hair of your head will be lost.”
Jesus does not avoid talking about the trials that await His disciples. He does this not to frighten us, but to give us confidence in the face of everything. He tells us: “Don’t worry about strategizing; just be attached to me.” “By your perseverance you will save your lives.”
Following the teaching of Jesus, the Church presents these events to us today, after having traveled through the entire liturgical year. It is as if to say: if we have experienced, throughout this year, the newness that Christ has brought us—if this journey has not been merely a formality or a memory, but a newness of life from His birth to His resurrection—we will be able to face everything that will happen at the end of time with this certainty firmly fixed in our eyes. All the events that happen will be a test of the maturity of our faith. If we remain faithful, we will be surprised at how He wants to show us that “not even a hair on your head will be lost.” It will not be us who become more capable; rather, it will be Him who will show all His power in us, to make us stronger in faith.
Who can trust Christ to the point of not being paralyzed by fear? Those who have seen all these events at work in the events celebrated during the liturgical year. Without experiencing today His ability to make everything fresh and new in life, to win out in every circumstance, it will be difficult not to listen to these things with a certain skepticism. Those who are already experiencing this in their own lives, however, won't lose heart.
How can we experience His ability to make everything new? The Church surprises us with the second reading: in the daily grind. “For we did not remain idle among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread for free, but we worked hard, night and day, so as not to be a burden to any of you.” Hope will increase only if we see His victory in the daily grind, in our everyday work, so that we can be more certain that His presence is capable of changing what is most resistant to change.
