Allocution, November 13, 2022, XXXIII Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Singing)
Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday to all, may the Word of God that we will listen to and meditate on today open our hearts and intelligence to understand God’s plans in our lives and give us the strength to do his will at all times. We are in the XXXIII Sunday of Ordinary Time and as we approach the solemnity of Christ the King and, therefore, the end of the Liturgical Year, the texts of the Word of God present to us the eschatological theme, that is, everything that has to do with the end of life and the world, this end understood as finality or purpose and not about what the end of existence will be like.
(Gospel)
The evangelists Matthew, Mark and Luke, before telling us the events of the passion and death of Jesus, introduce these speeches of Jesus about the ultimate end of everything and the definitive establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven. When Advent begins, which is the time that begins the Liturgical Year, these themes of the end and the coming of Christ are taken up to tell us in this way that end and beginning are related; The starting point becomes the arrival point, God’s project at the beginning is realized at the end. Luke chapter 21 presents us with the occasion when Jesus teaches about the end times. Seeing some praising the beauty of the stones of the temple of Jerusalem and all the splendor of the sanctuary where God lived, according to the tradition of Jesus’ countrymen. Jesus faces suffering and death, that is, his Passion and Cross, with the certainty of going through the dark night of pain by resurrecting in the light of life, which is God’s victory over evil and death. He tells us, his disciples, not to be afraid and to persevere in doing good, not to worry about the end, because in the end, God will have the last word. That every difficult situation can become an occasion for good and sanctification for those who truly believe in Him. The perseverance that Jesus asks of us today is knowing how to remain faithful to the Lord and with this firmness we will save our lives.
(Singing)
The first reading is taken from the prophet Malachi. The word “malachi” means “my messenger,” and the text presents us with the fate of those who fear God. Fear of God in the Bible and, therefore, in the Christian faith, does not mean being afraid of God, but taking the things of God seriously; It means being righteous before Him. This text describes how the Lord will proceed to fulfill his promises: he will act with justice using the biblical image of the fire that purifies and that of the Sun that illuminates, calling it the “Sun of Justice.”
Jesus is the Sun that is born from above. As we say in Advent and Christmas “to illuminate those who live in darkness and the shadows of death and to guide our steps along the path of peace.” We know that this is why the Lord has come and will come, to rule the world with justice and the people with the righteousness of love.
But the long-awaited and definitive encounter with the Lord cannot sit idle for us. Given the evil that exists in the world or what you may be suffering personally, there is much to do so that the Word and love of Jesus are known. That is why Saint Paul asks us to work for the kingdom of God every day, each one from the reality of his life and daily tasks, without interrupting the commitment that as Christians we have in the social and civil spheres.
(Singing)
Jesus, with his Good News, proposes a new world; the old world will disappear, it will be destroyed. That world of evil and slavery to sin, of the exploitation of the weak and defenseless, will disappear. When will it happen? We don’t know, but this is not what Jesus is interested in, but how we should position ourselves and with what attitude to live before that end that awaits us. What lessons can Christians draw from this Gospel for our lives? Jesus does not want this way of relating to God to continue, as was known until then in his land, and that is why he does not want even a stone to remain of that way of believing in God. The destruction of the material temple is a passage from the old temple to the new temple that is Jesus. Jesus is the new temple and the valid sacrifices for God are the works of love. How to live this time of passage from the old to the new temple that is Jesus?
1. Jesus tells us: do not go after them, that is, the false messiahs. Those who will come with a certain messianism proposing themselves as the solution to all problems. Let us not confuse the new world of Christ with the latest novelty, with the latest fashion, with moral choices contrary to the Gospel.
2. Jesus uses a language well known in his time, which is apocalyptic language, which has nothing to do with catastrophes or destruction. Jesus does not want to scare us with fear. That language is to foster hope, not fear. The Christian, dear brothers, when faced with the described events of wars, revolutions, betrayals, etc., never says “there is nothing to do”, “there is no remedy for this”, he never becomes discouraged in the face of difficulty. Christ tells us “raise your heads, liberation is coming.” That liberation is in Him. The new world is not far away or unattainable, it is at the door, it is close, it is in Jesus.
3. If we follow Christ there will be a price to pay. Jesus does not assure us of an easy life or the elimination of problems. Following the Master often causes misunderstanding and obstacles. The old world clings and does not want to disappear and fights to achieve it, and it is in this circumstance where we must bear witness to the love of God, even loving the enemy. When things get difficult we cannot miss the opportunity to bear witness, because with our perseverance we will be saved. Nothing will be lost in the difficulty, we must persevere in fidelity to Christ.
(Singing)
Brothers and sisters, as has been tradition for 503 years, Havana celebrates its patron saint Saint Christopher, martyr of the faith in the first centuries of Christianity. This year the celebrations at the Havana Cathedral begin on November 15 at 5:00 p.m. with the Vespers Mass presided over by our pastor, His Eminence Cardinal Juan García, archbishop of Havana. At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, the procession with the image of Saint Christopher, patron of the city and the Archdiocese, will leave the temple from Havana through the streets of our historic center.
On November 16, Saint Christopher’s Day and Founding Anniversary of the City, at 6:00 in the morning, Father Yosvani Carbajal, a servant, parish priest of the Cathedral, will officiate the Mass of the Mute, an ancient practice of the devout who fulfill their promises to the protector of travelers. At 10:30 in the morning the rector of the National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Regla, Father Roberto Betancourt, will celebrate the second mass of the day. At 3:00 in the afternoon we will have the baptisms of children, at 5:00 in the afternoon it will be the moment of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and blessing the faithful, at 6:00 in the afternoon the new Auxiliary Bishop of La Havana, Monsignor Eloy Domínguez, will preside over the solemn mass dedicated to emigrants. We will wait for you.
As children of God that we are and with Christian hope in our hearts, let us pray with the words that Jesus taught us:
(Our Father Prayer)
The Lord be with you… And the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit descend upon you, your families and be with you always… Amen.
(Singing)