Sunday Gospel & Homily November 16, 2025
Luke 21: 5-19 The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times
(NIV)
5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said,
6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”
7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.
9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.
13 And so you will bear testimony to me.
14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.
15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.
17 Everyone will hate you because of me.
18 But not a hair of your head will perish.
19 Stand firm, and you will win life.
Homily by Fr. Errol Nebrao, S.J.:
My dear friends as I have mentioned earlier, we have come to the end of the liturgical year. The church gently invites us to slow down and to look within us. Next Sunday is Christ the King and soon after we step into Advent, a season of hope and a season of new beginnings. Before that new beginning can happen, our Gospel for today asks something deeper of us and what is that something to let certain things fall away so that something new can grow.
Before we begin anew, we must learn to let go. In our Gospel, Jesus speaks of the temple destruction, not only about temple destruction but about wars, earthquakes and persecutions. It sounds frightening at first. But He isn’t trying to scare us. No. He is inviting us to recognize that even the most impressive structures in our lives like our achievements, our routines, our pride all of these can crumble. The temple we remember during that time was the pride of the Israel people. People admired its beauty, its stability, its permanence. Yet Jesus says it will fall. Why would he say this? Was he always that threatening to those who were against Him? No. He reminds them of something more than just bricks and stones. He reminds us that spiritual growth often begins with something in us. Something in us falling. Something in us is dying. My dear friends, all year we work hard to build our lives, our reputations, our comfort. But Jesus reminds us today that if we cling too tightly to what is passing, we risk losing sight of what truly matters. There is dying, we must accept not the death of our bodies but the dying of our ego. The dying of our centeredness, our illusions of control. The spiritual life we remember always invites this gentle dying. To love, I must let my selfishness die. To forgive, I must let my anger die. To trust God, I must let my fear die. To serve, I must let my pride die. There must be dying in our part to love, to forgive, to trust and to serve. And this dying is never meant to destroy us. No, it is intended to create room for new life. Think of it as a seed. It must fall to the ground and break open. Only then it can grow. Not only to grow but to bear fruit. Plenty of fruit to feed the men. When we allow certain parts of ourselves to fall away, our stubbornness, our resentments, our need to always be right, God creates space for patience, humility, compassion and deeper faith to take root. Another part of the Gospel, Jesus assures us that not a single hair of our head will be destroyed. In other words, when we allow ourselves to let go, when we surrender our false security, and follow Him, God does not leave us empty. He protects what is essential and transform what is not. Everything that needs to die will die. Everything that must to live must live. And so my dear friends as we end the liturgical year, maybe this is the question that God is asking us quietly. What in me needs to die so that I can grow? Maybe it is a habit that keeps pulling me away from Him. Or maybe it is a heavy disappointment that I refuse to let go. Maybe it is my dependence on praise, success or control. Or maybe it is a resessment that has stayed for me for a very long time. These days, some trees in different parts of the world shed their leaves already. Just as trees shed their leaves to prepare for new life, we must let go from what keeps us from God. Endings are not signs of death. They are invitations for transformations. And Jesus ends with this promise, with your perseverance you will secure your life. He is not simply talking about survival, He is talking about transformation. He is saying simply hold on. Stay faithful. Keep allowing God to shape your heart. When things fall apart outside us or within us, God uses those moments not to destroy but to rebuild us. And so today as we prepare for a new liturgical year and all the unknowns ahead of us, let us ask the Lord for His grace. To surrender what ever needs to die in us. Not out of fear but out of trust. Because on the other side of that surrender is growth and freedom God has been waiting to give us.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
