33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: November 16, 2025
Readings: Malachi 3:19–20; Psalm 98:5–9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7–12; Luke 21:5–19
We love to see and admire great and grand things. Our fascination with such things is natural and real as we are blessed with a capacity to enjoy such beautiful things. Unfortunately, the so-called great and beautiful things are also time-bound. They do not last for eternity. Unfortunately, there is nothing in this world that we can claim will last forever. They are short-lived, just like our lives. They are created by someone. Therefore, having an awareness of uncertainty and limitedness is good for us so that we do not land in a world of despair and unhappiness when the end comes unexpectedly. We must be ready for anything and everything that would occur in our lives. Only then will we be content to know that there is also life beyond the earthly things. As we inch closer to Advent, the liturgical readings are becoming poignantly clear that we must rely on God and God alone.
1. Built by human hands has an end!
In today’s Gospel Luke 21:5–19, Jesus stands before the grandeur of the Temple in Jerusalem — its stones gleaming in the sunlight, its beauty admired by all. It is the second temple built by the decree of King Cyrus, the king of Syria, a non-Jew, around 546 BC (cf. Ezra 1:1–4). However, the construction began later and was completed under Darius I in 515 BC (cf. Ezra 6:15). The First Temple, built by King Solomon, had been destroyed by the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar II, in 587/586 BC during the Babylonian captivity. Thus the Second Temple became the center of Jewish faith and identity — a visible sign that they were once again the people of Yahweh, the chosen race. Later, it was magnificently expanded and renovated by King Herod the Great beginning around 20 BC, and this is the temple Jesus refers to in today’s Gospel.
This temple of Jerusalem gave an identity to Jews. It built them as a community and a nation. Now Jesus shocks them about the future of that temple, saying: “The days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” For the Jews, this Temple was the heart of faith, the dwelling place of God Himself. It reminded them of the unity and strength. To hear its fall and destruction means taking their heart away. It was like someone trying to shock them and bring disunity by saying something bad about their symbol of identity. But Jesus is not simply predicting a historical event — though the destruction of the Temple did come true in A.D. 70 — He is revealing something deeper about the human heart and the nature of discipleship.
2. Uncertainty of Earthly Glory
We, too, are often impressed by the “temples” of our time — the monuments of human achievement: wealth, success, comfort, reputation, positions and power. Yet, Jesus reminds us that everything built on human pride and power will eventually crumble. The end is imminent. It's a hard and bitter truth: even the most beautiful structures — our careers, our possessions, even our bodies — will one day pass. What endures is not the stone, but the soul; not what we build, but what we become.
The Lord invites us to build not on sand, but on the rock of faith. When we root our lives in Him, even when everything else collapses, we will stand firm. Jesus goes on to speak of wars, earthquakes, famines, and persecution — a frightening list. But His purpose is not to scare us; it is to awaken us. He says, “Do not be terrified.” The Christian is not called to panic when the world seems to fall apart, but to trust more deeply in God’s providence. The shaking of the world reveals the fragility of all that is temporary, and at the same time, it invites us to place our hope in what is eternal.
3. The Sacredness of Work
St. Paul, the great missionary and apostle, was no stranger to hard work. He was a tentmaker by trade and chose to labour with his own hands so as not to burden anyone. Writing to the Thessalonians St Paul instructs them that the Gospel is not a shortcut to comfort. Grace does not replace effort; it sanctifies it. Thus, when Paul commands, “Work quietly and earn your own living,” he dignifies the ordinary. Every act of honest work — whether teaching, cooking, farming, or cleaning — becomes a space where grace can dwell.
There is a temptation to live a faith of convenience — to expect blessings without responsibility, to pray without acting, to wait for miracles without lifting a finger. St Paul reminds us that authentic Christian life is participation in God’s creative work. Work, done in love, becomes prayer. Kayakave Kailasa. Work is worshipWork is a gateway to heaven. In the Christian vision, work is not merely a means of earning a living — it is a participation in God’s ongoing creation. From the beginning, God entrusted humanity with the care of the world. Jesus Himself worked with His hands as a carpenter before preaching the Kingdom. For the Christian, the workplace is an altar. The desk, the workshop, the classroom — these can become sacred spaces when our labour is joined with love and offered to God.
Self-Reflection Questions
- Where is my security truly placed?
- When plans collapse or familiar structures crumble, do I react with fear and complaint, or with trust that God is still at work?
- Am I faithful in the small, ordinary tasks of life?
- Do I treat my daily work — whether at home, in ministry, or at the workplace — as a participation in God’s ongoing creation?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are the Rock that never crumbles and the Worker who sanctified every labour. In You, all things hold together — even when the world around me falls apart. Teach me to find You not only in the sacred spaces of worship, but also in the simple duties of each day. Make my work an offering of love, my perseverance a testimony of faith, and my endurance a sharing in Your cross. Free me from fear when the stones of life fall, from laziness when the task seems dull, and from pride when success comes easily. Give me the strength to labour quietly, the grace to trust deeply, and the courage to endure patiently — until, by Your mercy, I gain my soul. I make this prayer in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.
- Fr Olvin Veigas, SJ
E-mail: olvinveigas@jesuits.net
Blog: Celebrate Faith
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