A Message from Fr. Jay
Dear Friends,
This Sunday, the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, is observed as the World Day of the Poor with the 2025 theme: “You are my hope.”
The world is increasingly becoming violent in all aspects. Individuals face more challenges, pressure and stress that affect their physical and mental health. Communities become easy targets of criticism and bigotry based on differences. Conflicts between countries increase hostility and wage wars, the greed of a few speeds up the race for unethical economy….and the end result of all this is “Poverty”. Poverty is caused and escalated because of external factors in our daily lives. God does not appreciate poverty. Instead, God shares His wisdom, charity, mercy and compassion with us calling to eliminate poverty.
In first reading and the gospel, its talks about the end destruction but not complete destruction. There is promise of hope. Everyone has an end, but that end should never be destroyed by our sins like pride and greed. In the gospel, the people were mesmerized by the beauty of the Temple. Jesus tells them directly that the beauty might one day be removed by someone else mightier than them.
There is no guarantee of sustaining wealth, money or power forever. Care for human relationships alone could build up inner beauty, peace and harmony. To care for human relationships, one needs to implement discipline. In the second reading, Paul talks about building discipline among the communities.
We, as baptized Catholics, are called to a life of discipline to care for human relationships and work against poverty. Jesus trusts in you and me and tells us, “You are my hope!”
God Bless,
Fr. Jay Raju
- Reading 1: Malachi 3:19-20a
- Reading 2: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
- Gospel: Luke 21:5-19
