Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 21:20-28
 
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its devastation is near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, those who are inside the city must leave it, and those who are in the country must not return to the city; for those will be days of vengeance, so that everything that is written may be fulfilled. Woe to the pregnant women and to those who are nursing in those days, for there will be great calamity in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth distress among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and glory. But when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is near.”

The Word of the Lord.

Beginning and End

Luigi Maria Epicoco

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its devastation is near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, those who are inside the city must leave it, and those in the country must not return to the city; for those will be days of vengeance, so that everything that has been written may be fulfilled.”

An endless stream of events, terrors, and signs fills today’s Gospel. It is clearly felt that the liturgical year is ending, and the liturgy reminds us of this by shifting our gaze to the end of history. Perhaps the more correct phrasing should not be “the end of history,” but rather “the purpose of history,” because when Jesus speaks of these events, He does not want to give us chronological references but eschatological ones. The difference is simple: Jesus does not want to give spoilers. He does not want to tell us how the movie ends to ruin it for us, but He wants to remind us of at least two things. The first is that the scene of this world is passing away, and that everything has a beginning and an end, including our lives, and this world. The second thing is that our destiny, however, is not in the finishing, in the end, but is the eternal life that begins exactly when everything seems to be ending. How does a Christian react to this announcement?

“But when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is near.”

Stand up, raise your heads, that is, assume an upright position, stop looking at your feet, lift your gaze, and perceive that precisely all of this reminds us that liberation is near. To feel freedom approaching exactly as one feels the imminent arrival of spring at the end of winter. To feel a hope pressing within us that we cannot fully express but which becomes a motivation that pushes us forward, pushing us toward unhoped-for leadership. In this way, death, resurrection, and waiting intertwine like a thread that runs through our entire existence, and they transfigure it, filling it with meaning.

Let’s listen together