Gospel Reflection for The 27th day of November in the year of Our Lord, 2025
Luke 21:20-28
20 And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army; then know that the desolation thereof is at hand.
21 Then let those who are in Judea, flee to the mountains; and those who are in the midst thereof, depart out: and those who are in the countries, not enter into it. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things may be fulfilled, that are written. 23 But woe to them that are with child, and give suck in those days; for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword; and shall be led away captives into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles; till the times of the nations be fulfilled. 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves;
26 Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved; 27 And then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with great power and majesty. 28 But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.
One of the most influential books for Saint Therese of Lisieux was a book by Fr. Arminjon about the “end times” and the coming of the Antichrist, entitled The End of This Present World and the Mysteries of The Future Life. Unfortunately, it is now viewed as a very controversial book and it can be difficult to find a copy still in print, especially in English. I was fortunate to find one and read it, and I can attest that it is quite enlightening.
One reason for the controversy is that the author makes clear, using scripture and the words of visionary saints, that the Antichrist will be Jewish. Given that the book was written before the Nazi Holocaust, the mass slaughter of Jews in the Soviet Union and modern antisemitism, it is understandable that people would be very sensitive to anything that could fuel such negative sentiment toward innocent Jews now. However, it only makes sense that if a false god is to arise that will be accepted as the Messiah by those of the Jewish (and likely Islamic) religion and ethnicity, he must be a descendant of Abraham. No gentile could fulfill the messianic prophecies. That should not be offensive, as it was absolutely necessary that Jesus be of Jewish heritage.
The other controversy regarding the book is that Fr. Arminjon makes clear that the Antichrist will not be a religious Jew or Muslim, although he will masquerade as such. He will most likely be a secular leader of the Masonic Order and a “one world” style government such as the United Nations. I am sure you are already identifying several men who resemble such a figure. However, the Antichrist will, through the power of Satan, be able to do (or appear to do) all of the miracles performed by Christ in the Bible. Through these actions, he will convince not only the Jews and Muslims, but the vast majority of Christians that he is a representative of God... the Messiah, the second coming, the last Imam, whatever.
We do not know how or when this will occur, but given the rapidly advancing power of artificial intelligence, we may soon witness events we cannot now imagine. The priest tells us that somehow, this Antichrist will be able to monitor all people, all over the world. He will persecute all those who continue in the true faith. Faithful Christians, and anyone who refuses to submit to and worship him and the organization that represents him – an idol or a government... who knows? - will be hunted down and killed. This is very much what our Lord is telling us today.
Contrary to Protestant believe about the “Rapture”, the faithful will not be taken up by Christ and spared from this persecution. They will suffer physically, spiritually and mentally as true martyrs, giving their lives for God in the most horrific ways imaginable. Churches will be destroyed. Priests will be killed. Likely, even Saint Peter’s Basilica will be stormed by the armies of darkness and an “abomination” will be worshiped on the altar of God. Very, very few Christians will survive. Nearly all will renounce their faith.
Then, our Lord will come again. Jesus will return in Glory and defeat the Antichrist. At that time, all peoples will recognize Jesus as Lord. Jews, Muslims, Gentiles, pagans, atheists, etc. will be converted and the rule of Satan will come to an end. Truly, today’s Gospel is terrifying. But, we still have hope. We know how the story ends. We pray, as Jesus instructed us, that such events do not happen in our life times, and if they do we hope that we may “endure until the end” and be saved. “Even so, come Lord Jesus”!
Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings January - June, 2026 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FWJMD7CL
and
Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK
His podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic
This got me thinking. What's the modern take on 'vengence' here?