By Reverend Katherine Elsner
Today’s first & third readings convey stark warnings for those who live their lives with integrity and justice. This warning became a reality 36 years ago this week, in 1989 in El Salvador, when six Jesuits, their house keeper & her daughter were murdered by Salvadoran government forces. These Jesuits were professors at the University of Central America. They were killed because they were outspoken advocates for those who were poor and suffering in their country. They used their power and privilege to work for a more just society.
Yes, these Jesuits spoke words of wisdom, like the phrase used in our gospel today. They willingly used their authority to speak up for the poor in their country who suffered at the hands of the government. They gave witness publicly for the good of the people of El Salvador.
Another person who found power in wisdom from today’s gospel was Sister Dorothy Stang, a sister of Notre Dame de Namur. It’s the 20th anniversary of her martyrdom in the Amazon. Just recently, Pope Leo XIV lifted up Dorothy’s fortitude in his homily as her relics were placed in the Sanctuary of Martyrs in Rome, because in 2005, she stood with the natives of the Amazon instead of with the wealthy ranchers.
How can it be, then, that we also heard these words
in today’s gospel? “Not a hair of your head will perish.”
We know that six Jesuits and Sr. Dorothy Stang were killed for their call for justice. We know that multiple others have been put to death over the years for speaking the truth for their situation at hand. So, what can we learn from the gospel today?
First, it’s not the first time we have encountered contradictions in our readings from scripture. Second, as we have heard in homilies before, we in 2025 have to find the message for our times, from the words written long ago. I believe we really can find words of wisdom to guide us in our daily lives, if we are willing to look, if we are willing to interpret the words of Jesus, and if we are willing to continue the work of Jesus in our day-to-day lives.
In the gospel we heard that truth would be obscured by imposters claiming to speak for God. Wars would break out. Even nature itself would seem to turn on Earth’s creatures. Disease would rampage. No one would escape disastrous diseases.
Tragically, we can put contemporary names & events on Jesus’ predictions about both good people and innocent people. Kidnapped children from Ukraine are being taken to Russia; children at our southern border and innocent people of color in our US cities are being seized off the streets. Because of ICE raids in many places right here in Illinois, Hispanic parishioners are fearful of attending mass, they are reluctant to attend parish or community events, they are afraid to go to buy groceries or take their children to school. And they are definitely afraid to open their front door.
At the same time courageous people are standing up. Some citizens patrol city streets watching for ICE agents, and they send out warnings of danger with their whistles. Citizens around the country continue to march in peaceful protests against unjust actions by our government.
So, Jesus’ command “do not be deceived” means that we have to read the signs of our times in order to determine truth from deception, good from evil, actions that are life-giving from those that are death-dealing. Jesus’ command implies that as we discern what is truth for us, our prayerful judgement leads us to give witness in whatever way we can. Our very act of acting on behalf of love and truth opens the window of wisdom to be carried out through our actions.
Sometimes I ask myself: am I living in the end of times, like Jesus predicted would happen some day? It surely seems like it some days. As is true of this and other warnings in the gospels, we cannot predict such things. What we can do is to seek wisdom and truth, and then take steps according to our abilities.
So, rather than concentrating of whether these are or are not the final days, I prefer to think that God is more interested in the way we are conducting our lives now—in the present. Through all of the trials and sufferings we experience in our broken world, we are called to celebrate life with Joy. We are to bear faithful witness to the gospels by our lives of hope and unselfish love. We are pilgrims on a journey who are not always perfect. But we are filled with hope by our faith in the Jesus who lives and breathes among us. Jesus never lost his sense of direction and purpose. His love for God was integrated into all that he said and did.
We are blessed at Holy Family with members who seek wisdom and truth, who follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and who then take actions to the best of our abilities. We pray for each other, and we care about each other as well as those in our wider community.
In 2025 we are living out what we heard about in today’s gospel from Luke.
By following the example of the Jesuits in El Salvador, Sr. Dorothy Stang in the Amazon, and countless others, we are persevering to the best of our abilities .
Amen, Holy Family !