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 33rd Sunday, Year C: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Enduring in Faith and Perseverance as We Await the Day of the Lord.

Readings: Malachi 4:1‑2a; 2 Thessalonians 3:7‑12; Luke 21:5‑19

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is the thirty‑third Sunday of the liturgical year. Next Sunday will be the last Sunday of the Church’s year, the Solemnity of Christ the King. As we approach this conclusion, the Church invites us to reflect on the end of time and the victory that awaits us in Christ if we remain faithful until the end.

Faithfulness requires endurance. However, endurance is not easy; it is one of the hardest disciplines of the Christian life, but it is also the path to final victory. Those who persevere will triumph over the forces of this world.

In the first reading, the prophet Malachi speaks to a people who were discouraged. They saw the wicked prosper while the righteous suffered, and they began to doubt God’s justice. To buttress their disappointment, some of them said, “It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.” (Malachi 3:13-15). Yet Malachi reassured them in today’s reading (in 4:1-3) that the names of those who fear the Lord are already written in His book of life. Evil will not have the last word in their lives. On the Day of Judgment, the arrogant and evildoers will be consumed by fire, while those who revere the Lord will rise with healing and joy.

This message is very relevant to us all today. We live in a world where corruption and injustice often seem to dominate, where those who disregard God’s ways appear to flourish. Some Christians are tempted to give up, to compromise, or even to abandon the faith. But Malachi reminds us that God is faithful. He will reward patience and goodness, and He will bring justice in His time.

The Gospel reading continues this theme. Jesus assures us that the day of God’s judgment will surely come, but He warns us not to be obsessed over when it will happen. We must not be deceived by false prophets who claim to know the exact hour or who spread fear about the end times. Instead, Jesus calls us to live each day faithfully, bearing witness to Him in the midst of trials, temptations, and persecutions.

St. Paul, in the second reading, gives us a practical lesson. In Thessalonica, some believers had stopped working, thinking that Christ’s return was imminent. Paul corrected them, telling them that waiting for the Lord does not mean idleness or fear. Rather, it means living responsibly, working diligently, and using every moment to testify to the Gospel.

So, dear friends, what should we do as we wait for the Day of the Lord? We should remain steadfast in faith, trusting that God’s justice will prevail. We should persevere in daily life, fulfilling our responsibilities, working honestly, and living with integrity. We should bear witness to Christ in words and deeds, showing the world the hope we carry. We should also reject fear and false teachings, refusing to be led astray by those who predict the end-time or spread panic.

Dear friends, the Day of the Lord will come, but if we live each day faithfully, it will not catch us unprepared. Let us endure with courage, persevere with hope, and remain close to Christ, so that when He comes, we may be found ready and rejoice in His victory.

Peace be with you. Happy Sunday.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima