Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr

Lectionary: 357


Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me. In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it,


In an article I read almost fifty years ago -- and can neither quote nor find on the Internet -- the great Catholic theologian Karl Rahner explained some mysteries of the Book of Revelation. The article was called The Hermeneutics of Eschatological Assertions. (It took me five minutes to read the title, and three days to read the thirty page article. Don't you love these German theologians?)
The survivor of Nazi Germany believed that Revelation reflects upon "end times" that periodically sweep through human life. "The end of the world" is not a final denouement of our planet, but a major historical event in which our familiar world is transformed  beyond recognition. It might be any kind of catastrophe, but most especially a war of rebellion. 
Dissatisfaction develops as changes undo a static system. Society at large may be happy with the way things are but some people are discontent. Little by little, as things happen and changes occur, more and more people are unhappy while many others -- the comfortable -- stubbornly hold onto the old ways. "I've got mine!" they say. "You can get your own if you work hard enough or deserve it. But don't bother us, in any case!" 
But the malcontents do bother and unrest grows. People take sides, the society is polarized, and violence breaks out. Rahner saw it in Germany following the unhappy settlement of World War I. 
Perhaps we're seeing it today. 
Both sides regard themselves as virtuous; both sides regard the other as wicked. Both side invoke the God of Justice who punishes the wicked. Given that "agreement" they resort to violence and neither will show mercy.  A civil war is the worst kind of war. 
Where is the disciple of Jesus in this conflict? While some Christians imitate their judging God of Justice, others prefer the merciful God of Mercy. Unfortunately, the latter will suffer persecution for their mildness. As Saint Paul warned Timothy, "In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 
We should pray daily, "Lead us not into temptation," for the "temptation" of the Our Father is precisely that endtime crisis when everyone must choose and the choice will be final. We pray to find ways to wage peace, first in our hearts and then in our world.