What if everything we cling to – our routines, our plans, our friends, our families, even the world as we know it – what if all those things crumbled? That is definitely not a comfortable question, but it’s one that today’s readings make us think about.

In the Gospel, the disciples are so impressed by the beauty of the Temple. As they look at it, they see strength, they see something that will last forever. And then Jesus enters the picture, looks at the same building, and basically tells His disciples, “Hey, don’t get too attached to the Temple, because one day, all of this is going to be gone.” Imagine the disciples’ reaction to that. It’s kind of a jarring moment. It is as if Jesus is asking them, “You think this is what keeps your life steady? You think this is the thing that going to make you feel secure? It’s not! That’s an illusion.”

Through the words of Malachi, the Lord gives us that same idea with some different imagery. He speaks of a day when everything rooted in pride and sin will be burned away. But he doesn’t stop there, He doesn’t just focus on the negative. He offers a certain promise. He says that those who fear His name, who have reverence for Him, who strive to follow His will, for them the sun of justice will rise with healing. What He’s saying there is that we will experience times when everything around us feels unstable, when we’re not sure of which way to even turn. In those moments of uncertainty, God is reassuring us that He will be the one who remains steady. He isn’t the cause of the chaos as the Enemy so often wants us to believe; instead, God is the refuge within that chaos.

Then St. Paul gently brings this into reality. He’s writing to the Thessalonians, a community of Christians who were struggling with people who had gotten spiritually lazy. They had become complacent in their faith. They, like we so often do, were waiting for God to step in and do everything. Yet, St. Paul reminds them that even when the world is unpredictable, discipleship still means engaging life with purpose. Remaining committed to our lives of faith, staying focused on our discipleship prevents us from drifting. It helps us to make sure we’re not coasting. It’s about staying grounded in Christ in everything that we do.

The sometimes hard truth that we have to acknowledge as Christians is that faith doesn’t protect us from experiencing loss or trial or moments of suffering. Throughout all the words of Scripture, God has never once promised that. He has never told us that our lives would be easy because we choose to be disciples of His Son. What He does promise us is this: even if the structures we rely on fall apart, even if everything we have ever known was taken away from us, we don’t have to fall apart with them. Jesus admits that there will be wars and earthquakes and moments of betrayal. Yet He tells His disciples not to be afraid because He will give them wisdom, strength, and the grace to endure. He encourages them to persevere in their faith no matter what may come, because by that perseverance the Lord will be with them.

Perseverance in the Christian sense isn’t about white knuckling it through a challenge or pretending that everything is fine. Instead, it’s knowing that our foundation is not this world…our foundation is Christ. That’s what the Disciples came to know, it’s why the Saints could get through immense change in their lives, moments of suffering, or times of uncertainty. Even when everything shifted around them, their identity stayed rooted in the One who never shifts.

So, for us: if the things that make us feel stable suddenly changed, would our faith remain steady? If routines broke down, if a plan fell apart, if life went in a direction we didn’t expect, would we still trust that Christ is with us and leading us?

The Gospel invites us to be people who live with open hands instead of clenched fists. We’re called to be people who can say, even if everything familiar changes, we still belong to Christ and He will not abandon us.

As we go through this week, the Lord is inviting us to reflect on our lives and to name one thing that we cling to a little too tightly. Maybe it is control or a desire for comfort. Maybe it is the need for everything to go exactly according to our plan. Whatever it might be, offer that one thing to God. Ask Him to give us the freedom to trust Him even if that particular stone begins to shift.

Because the truth doesn’t change. Structures fall. Plans unravel. Seasons shift. But Jesus never fades; His presence, His love, His mercy never crumble. And the sun of justice still rises for those who trust in Him.

Photo: Ilker Ozmen. Used under Unsplash license.