Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. -Year C - Sunday, 16 November 2025 (EPISODE: 556)
Readings for Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.- Year C
FIRST READING: Malachi 3:19-20a
Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9. “The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice”
SECOND READING: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 21:38). Alleluia, alleluia! Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
GOSPEL: Luke 21:5-19
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C - Sunday, 16 November 2025 - by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-556
(EPISODE: 556)
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It is what is inside that counts. That could be one theme that jumps up from this weekend's scriptures. .Our Lord, who is God made flesh, was born into this world to usher in the Kingdom of God. He did and said many things in the furtherance of this Kingdom. But each and every action he did was an expression and a consequence of his nature as God and as a concrete exposition of the values of God in action. Our Lord today warns his disciples, yes, the ornaments and workmanship of God's Temple in Jerusalem is superb. But this beauty is merely a shadow of the inner significance of God who lives with his people. Its God within us which matters. And in any case, this outer fabric of the Temple will be torn down and destroyed, but the inner reality of God's abiding presence with his people never ends, no matter what happens. Amidst the shocks and tragedies around every corner of this uncertain life, if we stay firmly focused upon and connected to the inner reality of Christ, in all things, we will stand strong no matter what happens.
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The scene in the gospel today is really shocking. Some people were rightly admiring the beauty of the superb temple of God in Jerusalem.
Loved by the people of Israel. Only for Jesus to reply to their horror, there will come a day when not one stone will be left lying on another. The absolute horror of this would be something akin to us admiring the Sydney Opera House and its unique design and beauty, only for a respected leader to say, One day, one day soon, it will all be in rubble, a complete wreck.
That's just unthinkable. Shocking. Although the temple of Jerusalem was not just any old building, it was God's house.
So it would be more like, in modern days, admiring the beauty of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and rightly to be unable to comprehend if anyone were to say that this focal point of our universal faith could one day lie in ruins. What an horrific thought. But that's just how shocking were these words to the listeners.
And when the temple did indeed lie in ruins, as predicted by Christ, after the Roman armies destroyed it, the people felt utterly lost, as if their soul had been torn out from inside them. It must have seemed like the end of the world had come. Two thousand years later, after the temple was destroyed, people still weep at the small part of the temple wall that has been rebuilt, endlessly mourning its loss.
The gospel today shines its insightful light upon the massive efforts we put into building up a vision, only for it to somehow be torn down by circumstances, whether it's by natural disaster or accident, or even by the negligence or even malice of others. It's timely to think of the things like this, as our Lord warns us to put our efforts into building up that which lasts forever, that which can never be touched or torn down. This weekend, Jesus warns his disciples that there are tough, stormy times ahead, for all who follow him, and in fact the wider community, including the Jewish people of Israel in his time.
But in the midst of this, he still offers hope. Don't be fooled, the end has not come. Even if it feels like it, the end has not arrived.
He rightly predicted that there would be wars and natural disasters, and many of them, many which would shake the foundations of society and frighten people. But amid all of these things, he calls us to remain resolute and keep focusing on the gospel. In all of this, he says, don't be shaken.
Do not be thrown by the tumult around you. Keep on working diligently without hesitation. Keep witnessing to the truth of my message.
I will be with you. I will be faithful to you. Even if following me causes persecution, and sadly for some, breakups in the closest of relationships, in ordinary family or social relations.
But again, this is an invitation to think and pray carefully about what we're putting our energies into. What are we building? Because some buildings, in fact most buildings, will not last forever. And even the ones that are intended to last forever, don't.
Jesus is not just talking about physical buildings, of course. What we're putting all our hopes and dreams and energy into is also building up something. Because there may be a time when exactly that which is the object of all our time, all our effort and energy, could be knocked down, whether by accident or design.
So Jesus implores us to put our energies and priorities into his kingdom and its values that can never be torn down. The reason that the early Christians endured such persecution, such horrors, and kept faithful, was that they knew Jesus. They had met him.
The early disciples. They had walked with him. They'd eaten with him.
They had been touched by his preaching and his ministry. And then those who had met Jesus talked about Jesus to those who hadn't. So they would willingly go to their deaths for what they knew their Lord stood for.
And it was on solid ground. There is one thing that's quite certain. We will not be left standing unless we connect ourselves.
Unless we throw a rope around God and really tie ourselves to the one true spiritual building that does endure forever. Christ. The foundation stone and fortress.
We need to daily deepen our knowledge and love of the person and message of Jesus. To deeply allow our Lord to immerse us in his heart and mind. So that we might catch on fire with his person, his message, and values.
And let us reflect often, opening ourselves up to this spiritual question about what our real priorities and choices are. What are we building? Are we building something so closely connected to Christ's gospel that it truly can never be torn down?
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
My Daily Visitor reflections, Nov/Dec, 2010
Homily Fr Paul W. Kelly
Image Credit- https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/8Y7pZjogIQe3rqIM8vq0/jesus-foretells-the-destruction-of-the-jerusalem-temple-by-the-romans-in-70-ad?ru=Paul-Evangelion
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C -(Sunday, 16 November 2025) (EPISODE: 556 )
2. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{Kindness and grace to you all}} welcome everyone, we gather - To offer or praise, prayers and intercessions to our loving God On this Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Coming together as Gods family, let us call to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life: Lord, have mercy Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins: Christ, have mercy Lord Jesus, you feed us with your body and blood: Lord, have mercy
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9. “The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice”
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 21:38). ). Alleluia, alleluia! Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
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PREFACE: Ordinary 7
Eucharistic Prayer 2
(theme variation: theme 3 )
(post version: v1-long)
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{17. Thanks everyone, and have a grace-filled and compassion-filled week.}
3. Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
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Details relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass in Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
"Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - In memory of William John Kelly (1942-2017) - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
“Quiet Time.” Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
“Today I Arise” - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick’s Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.
Microphones: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser. And (2024+) Rode Nt-1 + AI-1 Sound Mixer.
Editing equipment: -- MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software v10.49 (NCH Software).
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 17.63 (NCH Software)
Sound Processing: iZotope RX 10 Audio Editor (Izotope Inc.)
Text transcription as per recorded podcast version is transcribed by TurboScribe.ai
{excellent and accurate transcription from voice to text}
[Production - KER - 2025]
May God bless and keep you.
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