Conversion Is Preparation!

Sunday, November 16, 2025

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mal 3:19-20a; 2 Thess 3:7-12; Lk 21:5-19

The thirty-third Sunday highlights conversion as the needed preparation for welcoming the Lord.

The readings echo the theme of conversion as preparation from different angles.

The first reading from the book of the prophet Malachi highlights the impending ‘Day of the Lord,’ which also signifies a time of judgement for the wicked and deliverance for the righteous. The theme is explained in the words that while the wicked will be stubble, the righteous will be healed by the sun of justice. In his prophecy, Malachi leaves behind both a warning and an encouragement. The words of the prophet come as a warning sign to evildoers while urging the righteous to remain faithful and not give up.

In the second reading, Paul sends out a warning against idleness and puts forward hard work as a characteristic of authentic Christian living. When Paul sets the rule for the idle that ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat,’ he does not just recommend hard work but rather commands that such an attitude become their way of life because he intended his hard work as a model for others to imitate. We must note that more than mere industry, what matters for Paul is that his followers are able to embrace a change of life for the sake of Christ. Hence, not work but Christ becomes the criterion for change.

In many similar ways, the Gospel informs the first two readings. Jesus appears harsh. But is he? When Jesus talks about the beautiful temple collapsing, the end times, or the impending persecution, his listeners are offended without exhibiting any capacity for reflection on his statement. In essence, Jesus does not make any prophecy. He merely reminds his listeners of the natural order of things. He tells them that every good thing must come to an end. He implies that just as death is part of the birth cycle, dilapidation is part of material reality. Hence, what Jesus wants them to understand is the impermanence or shortness of anything physical or material. If we are open to this truth, then we would hasten to embrace change and transformation. 

In my view, Jesus’ words contain both a blessing and a warning, and it depends on the reader. To use an analogy, let us say that the navigator app cries aloud, ‘Speed check reported ahead!’ when we hit the highways. Now, is it a warning or information? It depends on who the recipient is. For someone overspeeding, it is a warning; but for the one driving within the speed limit, it is not only information that the person can brush aside but also an affirmation that s/he must keep the course steady in order to travel in peace and reach the destination safely. 

The readings of the day present us with valuable thoughts for continued reflection. 

1. The theme of the first reading reminds me of the quote, ‘The same sun that melts the butter hardens the clay.’ The same external pressure can have different effects upon the nature of the object it acts upon. While conversion requires the ‘butter’ approach, stability or resilience would benefit from the ‘clay’ approach. Are we butter or clay?

2. Paul’s words remind us that a Christian life shines better if love of Christ becomes the foundation and reason for anything we do. Failure to inherit this mindset would only make life meaningless and less interesting.

3. The message of Jesus does not contain any threats. Far from it! It is a message of consolation and blessing, filled with providential assurance. If our suffering is in the name of Jesus, God will uphold us because ‘Even the very hairs of our head are all numbered’ (Lk 12:7). 

A quote from Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea reads, ‘Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.’ 

Jesus was destroyed but couldn’t be defeated. This is still why he rules the world. Hence, for Christians too, destruction may be a reality, but not defeat, because we have the assurance of resurrection and afterlife as the future gift. 

Let us pray for the gift of conversion to worthily prepare ourselves for the Lord’s coming. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar