With Opened Bible
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
"All that you see here-- the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."
The first reading and the Gospel of Sunday help us reflect on the end of an era, guiding us toward understanding the broader Christian message that all things must eventually pass as we approach the end of the Liturgical year. The prophet Malachi mentions "the day that is coming" (Mal 3:19). Saint Luke, for his part, uses "the days will come" (Luke 21:5). Both refer to an expression cherished in the Old Testament: "the day of the Lord." But what is this day? What does it mean?
The day of the Lord is a way of expressing the time set for God to enter judgment with Israel. It can also involve other people or creation itself. Amos was the first to use this expression (Amos 3:14). This day appears in the form of war (Isaiah; Ezekiel 13:5; Zephaniah 1:16).It can also manifest in cosmic events and darkness (Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 2:10; Amos 5:18-20). This day is also called "Day of calamity" (Amos 6:3) or "day of punishment" (Isaiah 10:3).
In general, the "Day of the Lord" affects pagan nations. But in Joel's prophecy, it is Judah who is the victim (Joel 1-2). Against this rich scriptural background, Jesus merely continues in a more complete way what the Old Testament had prepared. He uses the expression "the days will come" to remind the inhabitants of Jerusalem that their pride will be trampled and cast aside. "All that you see here— The days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down." (Luke 21) Seventy years after his death, the Romans destroyed the temple, just as Jesus had predicted.
Ultimately, the Day of the Lord speaks to the transition from one era to another. The key message is that every ending in scripture points us toward the greater hope of renewal—this world passes so that a new one can arise. As Saint Peter expresses, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and every-thing done on it will be found out." (2 Peter 3:10)
