When things in life start to fall apart – when the doctor calls with bad news, when a relationship ends, when a loved one dies, when we watch the news and wonder what is happening to our world – we can feel like the disciples in today’s Gospel. They were admiring the beauty of the Temple – strong stone walls, gold, and grandeur – and Jesus tells them, “All of this will be destroyed.” It must have felt like the ground was shifting under their feet. The Temple was the center of their world, the sign of God’s presence and protection. If that could fall, what could they rely on?
And then Jesus speaks about wars, earthquakes, plagues, betrayals – all the things that make us anxious even today. But notice what he says next: “Do not be terrified.” “Not a hair on your head will be destroyed.” “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
In other words, when everything is collapsing, hold on – not to the stones, not to the structures, but to me. Faith does not mean we will be spared from tough times. It means we will never face them alone. Jesus never promised a life without earthquakes – but he did promise that his presence would hold us steady when everything else shakes.
A wise priest once said, “Sometimes God allows everything we lean on to be taken away, so that we discover what can never be taken – God’s love.” A man told me how he learned that lesson – it was a story about his business. For 30 years, he ran a small family company. It was his pride and joy. But then the economy turned, and he lost it all – savings, job, even the building. He said, “Father, I used to pray that God would bless my business. After it collapsed, I realized God had been blessing me all along – just not the way I expected. He went on, “Losing everything made me see that my worth was not in what I built, but in who I am – a child of God. I thought my world had ended. But it was really just beginning in a new way.
Sometimes, God lets the walls fall so we can discover the foundation underneath- God’s love that never fails.
As we near the end of the Church year, the readings speak in apocalyptic language – the sun darkened, the stars falling, the heavens shaking. The Gospel today is not meant to make us afraid, but to awaken us. Jesus is saying, “Don’t sleepwalk through life. Life is short, but eternity is long – live for what lasts. That is what Jesus wants us to remember. Not to live in fear of the end, but to live with purpose and peace – forgiving more easily, loving more deeply, giving thanks more often.
So, when everything feels like it is falling apart – health, family, plans – faith does not magically fix things, but it keeps us standing. The truth is, our faith was never meant to rest on things that pass away. It rests on the One who never does.
The Temple fell. Empires rose and fell. But Christ remains. And he says to us today, “By your perseverance, you will secure your lives.” So, if your world feels shaky – remember what looks like the end may be God beginning something new. The stones may tumble, but the cornerstone – Christ Jesus – will never move.