Fr Paul Gooley reads from Luke’s Gospel (21: 5-11) in which the disciples ask Jesus about the signs of the end of times. Fr Paul says each of the three synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Luke and Mark – have this great discourse by Jesus before the final days of Jesus’ life and the ministry of the disciples begins. In Mark and Matthew, the discourse is centred on the destruction of Jerusalem as a sign and warning of the conclusion of all history, when the Son of Man will come in his majesty. But for Luke it is different. He is here concerned with the destruction of the Temple itself as well as the city of Jerusalem. He is thinking of the events of 70AD when the Roman armies destroyed the temple and the city. In the Gospel today Jesus gives a list of signs for when the end comes. But Luke has Jesus stressing that ‘the end will not be so soon’ and that the work of the disciples is to happen ‘before all these things’. Mindful of the theme this week centring on the end, Fr Paul invites us to consider these questions: If the end of my life or the end of the world was to happen now – Am I ready? What do I need to do to be at peace?
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