Feria Quinta infra Hebdomadam XXIV post Octavam Pentecostes (V Novembris, IV classis)
Introduction
As we journey through the final weeks of the liturgical year, the Church in Her traditional wisdom presents us with readings that sharpen our focus on the Last Things—death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. On this Thursday after the 24th Sunday post Pentecost, the Epistle and Gospel given to us—Colossians 1:9–14 and Matthew 24:15–35—form a compelling contrast between the inner illumination of the soul in Christ and the external desolation that must come upon the world.
We find ourselves placed, liturgically and spiritually, in a time of reckoning. The days grow shorter, the feasts of the saints remind us of our call to sanctity, and the texts of the Sacred Liturgy urge us to watch, pray, and be made strong in the Lord.
Let us reflect upon these two passages in light of the Church’s perennial teaching, with guidance from the Fathers and the saints.
I. The Prayer of the Apostle for the Colossians (Col 1:9–14)
“That you may be filled with the knowledge of His will, in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding…” (Col 1:9)
St. Paul’s intercessory prayer for the Colossians reveals the soul of apostolic fatherhood. His desire is not merely that they have faith, but that they be perfected in it—walking worthy of the Lord and increasing in the knowledge of God.
St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, explains:
“Paul does not ask that they merely know the will of God, but that they be filled with it, that is, completely governed and directed by it. This is the perfection of the spiritual life.” (Hom. in Col.)
The Apostle speaks of being strengthened with all might—a crucial phrase in light of the Gospel reading. For the days of tribulation, which our Lord foretells, require precisely this fortitude, patience, and longsuffering with joy.
St. Paul roots this in the mystery of our redemption:
“…who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”
St. Augustine comments:
“This translation is not bodily but spiritual, from the dominion of the devil into the dominion of Christ, which is the Church.” (In Ep. ad Col.)
Here, we are reminded that no external persecution or tribulation can undo what God has wrought in the soul. The inward light of grace—the inheritance of the saints in light—fortifies the Christian even when the world is crumbling around him.
II. The Abomination of Desolation and the End of Days (Matt 24:15–35)
“When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation… standing in the holy place… then let them that are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Matt 24:15–16)
These terrifying words spoken by Our Lord, pointing to both the destruction of Jerusalem and the final tribulations before the end, draw heavily from the prophecy of Daniel. The “abomination of desolation” (cf. Dan. 9:27) is a sign of profanation and apostasy, of sacred places defiled and truth cast down.
St. Jerome, in his commentary on Daniel, identifies this with:
“The setting up of idols in the holy place, and the cessation of true sacrifice… which, in the latter days, shall be fulfilled again before the end.” (Comm. in Dan.)
The Fathers often saw a double fulfillment: first in 70 A.D. with the fall of Jerusalem, and again at the end of time with the reign of Antichrist. St. Cyril of Jerusalem warns:
“When you see the desolation spoken of by Daniel, and a man exalted against all that is called God, then know that the end is near.” (Catech. XV, 12)
In this Gospel, Our Lord calls for discernment, vigilance, and flight from corruption. The faithful are to recognize the signs, flee spiritual compromise, and not be deceived by false prophets and false Christs.
Yet amid the terror, there is also a promise: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matt 24:35)
St. Hilary of Poitiers beautifully comments:
“The heavens and the earth are unstable in comparison with the Word of God. His Word is the foundation of the new creation, and it abides forever.” (In Matt. 25)
III. Reading the Signs: A Spiritual Call to Watchfulness
These two readings, when placed side by side, reveal a critical tension:
- The Epistle offers an interior strengthening through union with Christ.
- The Gospel presents the external chaos that threatens to shake the faithful.
But it is the strength derived from Christ—illumined knowledge, fortitude, joyful patience—that makes the soul immovable even in the midst of the great tribulation.
This is the teaching of the liturgical tradition: that grace precedes judgment. Before the final reckoning, the Lord provides His faithful with everything necessary to persevere.
The pre-1955 Roman liturgy for this Thursday quietly invites the soul to interior recollection and confidence. The collect of the day (from the traditional Missal) prays for the removal of all things that are harmful, that the soul may be set free to serve God with a tranquil mind.
Conclusion: Fortitude in the Light of the Saints
As the Church leads us toward the solemn conclusion of the liturgical year and the impending Advent, the message is clear:
- The world may fall into desolation.
- The holy may be profaned.
- Signs in the heavens may trouble the heart.
But the Kingdom of the Son of His love is already within the soul that is illumined by grace. And the words of Christ endure forever.
Let us then pray with St. Paul: to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, to be made strong with all might, and to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.
Let the words of St. Cyprian, bishop and martyr, be our guide:
“He cannot be Christ’s who fears to be with Christ. Whatever that day may bring, nothing can overcome the Christian if he is found watching and armed with the light of truth.” (De Mortalitate, 15)
Amen.