Fr David King – sermon notes. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

When some were speaking about the temple—how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God—Jesus said,

“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

The disciples must have been stunned. The Temple was not merely a building; it was the heart of their faith, the sign that God was present among His people. Yet Jesus tells them it will fall.

He is preparing them for the truth that faith cannot rest on what is temporary. Faith must rest on God alone—on what cannot be shaken.

The prophet Malachi speaks of a coming day that will burn “like an oven,” when “all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble.” It is a vivid, unsettling image: a world purified by fire. But Malachi also promises,

“For you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.”

The same fire that destroys evil will refine the faithful. Judgment and mercy are not opposites in God—they are two sides of His holiness. The fire of the Lord consumes what is false, yet brings healing to those who live in reverence and trust.

When Jesus speaks of wars, earthquakes, persecution, and betrayal, He is not describing random chaos but the refining fires through which faith is tested and strengthened. He does not promise His followers an easy path; He promises His presence through it all.

“By your endurance,” He says, “you will gain your souls.”

Endurance—faithfulness under pressure—is the sign of those who belong to Christ.

In his letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul also speaks of endurance—but in a much more ordinary setting. Some believers had grown idle, expecting the Lord’s return at any moment. Paul reminds them that faith is not a reason to withdraw from daily life, but a reason to live it more faithfully.

“Anyone unwilling to work should not eat,” he writes—not out of harshness, but to call the community back to responsibility and service.

Faith in Christ is never passive. It finds expression in diligence, generosity, and perseverance.

Paul concludes,

“Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.”

That is a deeply pastoral word for our times too. When the world feels uncertain, when headlines and hardships weary us, the temptation is to give up—to stop caring, stop praying, stop serving. But Paul calls us to steady, unglamorous faithfulness: to keep doing good, trusting that God’s kingdom grows quietly through small acts of obedience.

Jesus says of the trials to come:

“This will give you an opportunity to testify.”

Our endurance itself becomes our testimony. When Christians meet fear with calm, hostility with gentleness, despair with hope, the world catches a glimpse of another reality—the life of Christ within us.

The early Church bore witness not by escaping persecution but by remaining steadfast within it. Their hope shone all the brighter because it endured the dark.

So it is with us. Faithfulness in hard times—whether in the face of illness, conflict, uncertainty, or loss—becomes a living sermon about the faithfulness of God.

Taken together, these readings form a pattern for Christian living:

• Malachi teaches that God’s judgment is also God’s healing.
• Paul reminds us that faith expresses itself in steady, practical goodness.
• Jesus calls us to endurance—not resignation, but trustful perseverance.

We live in a world that often feels unstable: institutions crumble, values shift, and peace is fragile. Yet Jesus tells us not to be terrified. Even when the ground shakes, the love of God remains firm.

The temple may fall; empires may pass away; but the presence of Christ endures. He is our rock, our “Sun of righteousness,” our reason to keep doing what is right, even when no one seems to notice.