Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
We Are People of Hope
Liturgical Cycle: C | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
We Are People of Hope
Good News until the End
Greeting (See Rom 8:38-39)
Neither death nor life,
neither the present nor the future
nor any other creature
can separate us from the love of God,
the love he has made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.
May the Lord Jesus be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
We Are People of Hope
In all ages there have been “prophets of doom,” as good Pope John XXIII called them. They are people so scared by the problems of their time that they think the end of the world is near. Our day is one of rapid changes, much violence and hunger and suffering. Now we know about them immediately via television and other media. No wonder that many sects arise and speculate about the end of our world. The message of today’s liturgy is: don’t be afraid. Keep trusting in God, be a steadfast Christian and bear witness to God’s love. You are in his hands, and Christ is here among us.
Good News Until the End
We call “gospel,” that is, “Good News,” the message brought us by Jesus Christ. Yet the part of the message that we hear today sounds more like bad news, about earthquakes and famine, wars and destruction. Yet what he tells us is still good news for Jesus wants to reassure us that in all miseries and troubles that beset us God is on our side and loves us, and that we should not listen to those who threaten us with a fearful end. We are, and should remain, people of hope. Let us ask Jesus, our Lord here among us, to fill us with trust and hope.
Penitential Act
Let us ask forgiveness from the Lord
for our faith and trust are weak.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, you brought us pardon and peace.
Why should we fear?
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, we seek your face;
you will never desert us:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, we trust in you,
in your strength and your love:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Forgive us all our sins, Lord,
and make us bold witnesses in this world
of your faithful love.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that we may expect God’s future
with trust and perseverance
(pause)
God our Father,
we believe that your plans for us
are for peace and not for disaster and fear.
Keep us open-eyed to the signs
of the constant coming of Jesus, your Son.
Help us to commit ourselves untiringly
to the growth of the kingdom among us
by carrying out your plans for peace and love.
Help us to do what makes our world
more of your world and the way to your home.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
First Reading
God’s Sun of Justice: When the Lord comes to judge, happy are those who have been found to be just.
Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,
when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,
and the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear my name, there will arise
the sun of justice with its healing rays.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 9) The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth,
he will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Second Reading
Prepare for the Lord’s Coming by Your Work: Do not prepare for the end of the world and Christ’s return by talking about it and wasting your time, says St. Paul. The best way to be ready is to continue working.
Brothers and sisters:
You know how one must imitate us.
For we did not act in a disorderly way among you,
nor did we eat food received free from anyone.
On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day
we worked, so as not to burden any of you.
Not that we do not have the right.
Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you,
so that you might imitate us.
In fact, when we were with you,
we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work,
neither should that one eat.
We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a
disorderly way,
by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.
Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly
and to eat their own food.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Sure of the Final Victory: The destruction of the Temple, calamities and persecution are images of the destruction of the old order and the beginning of a new one. Yet the person who perseveres in faith and hope has nothing to fear; such a one will live in the Lord.
While some people discussed the temple, remarking that it was decorated with fine stonework and abundant gifts, Jesus said to them:
“The days will come when not a single stone will be left on another of all that you now admire; everything will be torn down.”
And they asked him:
“Master, when will this happen, and what will be the sign that it is about to occur?”
Jesus said:
“Take care not to be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he; the time is near at hand!’ Do not follow them.
When you hear of wars and troubled times, don’t be frightened; for all these things must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.”
And Jesus said:
“Nations will fight against each other, and kingdoms will oppose kingdoms.
There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues; in many locations, strange and frightening signs from the sky will be seen.
Before all these things happen, people will lay their hands on you and persecute you; you will be handed over to synagogues and prisons, and for my sake, you will be brought before kings and governors.
This will be your opportunity to bear witness.
So keep this in mind: don’t worry in advance about what to say,
because I will provide you with words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.
You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and some of you will be put to death.
But even though, because of my name, you will be hated by everyone.
But not a hair of your head will perish.
By your patient endurance, you will save your souls.
Prayers of the Faithful
Let us ask the Lord to set all people free from all fear and danger, and let us say: R/ Lord, save us.
– From false prophets who mislead themselves, and notwithstanding their zeal, mislead those who follow them, protect us: R/ Lord, save us.
– From wars between nations and from civil strife, from worldwide conflicts and from nuclear arms, protect us: R/ Lord, save us.
– From catastrophes that kill people, from earthquakes, inundations and epidemics, protect us: R/ Lord, save us.
– From famine and malnutrition, from the indifference of those who have all they need and more, protect us: R/ Lord, save us.
– From our refusal to take the risks of faith out of fear of persecution, protect us: R/ Lord, save us.
– From unemployment and misfortune, from injustice and guilty compromises, protect us: R/ Lord, save us.
Lord, you want us to be free. Help us to go through the joys and pains of life with a firm hope in you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
accept this bread and wine
as signs that we are committed
to build up your kingdom in our world.
May our attitudes and decisions in life
be those of Jesus, your Son:
to seek your dawn of love and service
rather than self-destructive selfishness,
to be constructive and creative
in giving shape to a new earth
rather than to be critical of the past.
May we thus fully encounter you one day
in the joys of a new heaven
with Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
With Jesus, we thank God our Father for the trust and living hope he has given us through his risen Son, Jesus Christ.
Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer
With the fullest hope and trust
we pray to God our Father
that when our faith is tested
he may deliver us from all evil: R/ Our Father...
Prayer for Peace
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles:
“I leave you peace, my peace I give you;
do not worry what to say in your defense,
not a hair of your head will be lost.”
In the face of shocking events,
help us not to panic
but to keep our inner serenity,
and to find and keep the peace
of your lasting kingdom
where you live forever and ever. R/ Amen.
Invitation to Communion
This is the Lamb of God,
Jesus, the sun of justice.
Every time that we eat his bread
and drink his cup,
we proclaim the death of the Lord
and our hope in his coming. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
your Son Jesus destroyed our death by dying,
and by rising he restored our life.
By the strength of this Eucharist,
may we, and the whole of humanity
grow up in Christ day after day
through the pains and tensions of growth.
But keep alive in us
the joy of a firm hope
that your dawn of justice is coming
to make all things new,
and that Jesus will return
to make us share in his glory
for good and for ever. R/ Amen.
Blessing
Much is changing today,
some for the better, some for the worse.
We seem to be at a turning point of history
both in the Church and in the world.
There is much anxiety among people.
But the point is not:
Is this the end of the world?
We should leave that to the Lord.
It is rather: What do we do
to make this world human, livable,
conformable to the message of the gospel?
May we prepare for the Lord’s coming
with the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go in peace,
hoping and trusting in the Lord.
R/ Thanks be to God.
REFLECTIONS
16 November 2025
Luke 21: 5-19
Today’s Gospel begins with a scene of admiration. Some people are speaking with pride about the beauty of the Temple—its fine stones, its gold, its grandeur. It was indeed one of the marvels of the ancient world. But Jesus looks beyond what dazzles the eyes. He says, “The days will come when not a stone will be left upon another.”
Those words must have shocked his listeners. The Temple was the heart of Israel’s faith, a symbol of God’s presence. How could it fall? Yet Jesus is not trying to frighten. He is teaching his followers to see what is truly lasting. The things we build—our structures, our achievements, even our successes—will one day pass away. Only faith, hope, and love endure.
The disciples ask, “When will this happen? What sign will there be?” Like them, we too are often curious about the future. We want to know what is coming, to feel secure. But Jesus refuses to give a timetable. He simply says, “Do not be deceived. Do not be terrified.” Wars, revolutions, earthquakes, and disasters will come, yes—but they are not the end. They are part of the long, painful birth of God’s kingdom.
Luke wrote these words some fifty years after Jesus’ death, when the Temple had indeed been destroyed, and Christians were suffering persecution. Many thought it was the end of the world. But Luke reminds them—and us—that these are not signs of God’s absence but of His mysterious work in history. God is not ending the world; He is transforming it.
Jesus then speaks directly to his disciples: “They will seize you, persecute you, hand you over because of my name.” Yet he adds, “It will lead to your giving testimony.” What seems like defeat becomes an opportunity to witness. God can turn even suffering into mission.
And then come those consoling words: “Do not prepare your defence beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom no one can resist.” The Lord promises not safety, but presence. He does not say, “You will not suffer.” He says, “Not a hair on your head will perish.” In other words, your true life—your soul, your dignity as children of God—cannot be destroyed.
Perseverance is the key: “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” The Christian life is not about avoiding trials but remaining faithful in them. The world may crumble; faith remains firm.
Brothers and sisters, this Gospel invites us to fix our hearts not on what passes away, but on what lasts forever. When life seems uncertain, when evil seems to win, let us remember that God’s Kingdom is already being born, quietly, through the faith of those who persevere in love.
Let us walk forward, not in fear, but in hope—trusting that Christ, who conquered death, will bring to completion the work He has begun in us. Amen.
Being Worthy of Sufferings
Read: Prophet Malachi predicts the day of judgement. Paul encourages everyone to work and earn a living so as not to burden others. Jesus predicts the struggles of the end times and the persecution of the faithful ones.
Reflect: Jesus speaks about the troubled times the world will go through and how his followers will suffer much persecution. For Christ’s sake, they will be hated by everyone and betrayed even by their own families. Many might become martyrs. But he also assures them that while they go through such sufferings, their hearts will be perfectly at rest, thanks to his grace. The Spirit will provide them the words to speak and the power to suffer. Their souls will have the grace to survive those moments in perfect fidelity to God. Dostoevsky said once: “There is only one thing I dread: not to be worthy of my sufferings.” This is one thing that we can use for our daily examination of conscience: If and when such sufferings come, given the quality of my life today, will I be found worthy of them, in the name of the Lord?
Pray: “Lord, make me worthy of the sufferings for your sake, if and when they come my way.”
Act: Read the life of a saint.