"Magbantay kamo agod indi kamo pagpatalangon"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Lucas 21:5-11)

May mga tawo nga nagmuno kon daw ano katahom sang templo nga napugtakan sang matahom nga mga bato kag nabutangan sang mga dulot nga nahalad sa Dios. Si Jesus nagsiling sa ila, "Ini tanan nakita ninyo, pero magaabot ang tion nga wala sing mabilin diri nga isa ka bato nga nasampaw sa isa. Ang tanan marumpag." 

Nagpamangkot sila, "Manunodlo, san-o bala mahanabo ini? Kag ano bala ang tanda nga madali na lang ini mahanabo?" 

Si Jesus nagsiling sa ila, "Magbantay kamo agod indi kamo pagpatalangon. Kay madamo nga mga tawo ang magakari sa akon ngalan nga magasiling, 'Ako amo sia!' kag 'Ang tion nag-abot na!' Pero indi kamo magpati sa ila. 

Indi kamo magkahadlok kon makabati kamo nga may mga inaway kag mga ribok. Ini nga mga butang matabo anay, pero ini wala nagakahulogan nga ang katapusan malapit na." 

Kag nagsiling pa gid sia, "Ang isa ka pungsod magapakig-away sa isa ka pungsod, ang isa ka ginharian magagubat sang isa ka ginharian. 

May magaabot nga mabaskog nga mga linog, gutom, kag piste sa nagakalainlain nga mga duog. May makakulogmat nga mga butang kag dalagku nga mga tanda sa langit. 

Prayer: 

"Lord Jesus, your grace and mercy abounds even in the midst of trails and difficulties. Help me to seek your kingdom first and to reject whatever would hinder me from pursuing your way of righteousness and holiness. Fill me with the joy and hope of your everlasting kingdom." 

***

Reflections of the Daily Gospel: 

How would you respond if someone prophesied that your church or place of worship would be destroyed? In 1972 a violent earthquake ripped through the center of Managua and destroyed the great cathedral church. This was only the beginning of the troubles for the tiny nation and Christian community of Nicaragua which suffered great turmoil and loss in the civil war that ensued for more than a decade. Out of the ashes of destruction and the ravages of communism has emerged a humbler yearning for spiritual renewal and religious freedom. Jesus foretold many signs that would point to God's action in the world to purify and renew his people. To the great consternation of the Jews, Jesus prophesied the destruction of their temple at Jerusalem. The Jewish people took great pride in their temple, a marvel of the ancient world. The foretelling of this destruction was a dire warning of spiritual judgment in itself. They asked Jesus for a sign that would indicate when this disastrous event would occur. Jesus admonished them to not look for signs that would indicate the exact timing of impending destruction, but rather to seek and pray for God's intervention of grace and mercy. Jesus said there would be many signs of impending conflicts and disasters – such as wars, famines, diseases, tidal waves, and earthquakes – which would precede the struggles of the last days when God's anointed King would return to usher in the full reign of God over the earth. In that day when the Lord returns there will be a final judgement of the living and the dead when the secrets of every heart will be brough to light (Luke 12:2-3; Romans 2:16). 

Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem was a two-edged sword, because it pointed not only to God's judgment, but also to his saving action and mercy. Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the dire consequences for all who would reject him and his saving message. While the destruction of Jerusalem's temple was determined (it was razed by the Romans in 70 A.D.), there remained for its inhabitants a narrow open door leading to deliverance. Jesus said: "I am the door; whoever enters by me will be saved" (John 10:9). Jesus willingly set his face toward Jerusalem, knowing that he would meet betrayal, rejection, and death on a cross. His death on the cross, however, brought about true freedom, peace, and victory over the powers of sin, evil, and death – not only for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but for all – both Jew and Gentile alike – who would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Do you know the peace and security of a life submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ? 

Sometimes we don't recognize the moral crisis and spiritual conflict of the age in which we live, until something "shakes us up" to the reality of this present condition. God reminds us that a future judgment and outcome awaits every individual who has lived on this earth. The reward for doing what is right and pleasing to God and the penalty for sinful rebellion and rejection of God are not always experienced in this present life; but they are sure to come in the God's day of final judgment. The Lord Jesus tells us that there will be trials, suffering, and persecution in this present age until he comes again at the end of the world. God intends our anticipation of his final judgment to be a powerful deterrent to unfaithfulness and wrongdoing. God extends grace and mercy to all who will heed his call and his warning. Do not pass up, even for one day, God's invitation of grace and mercy to seek first his kingdom of righteousness and peace. This day may be your only chance before that final day comes.