As we approach the end of the liturgical year (in just two weeks it will be the first Sunday of Advent.), our Holy Mother the Church wishes to remind us of another end that is approaching: the end of the world. Yes, this world is coming to an end—we don’t know when, but we have our Lord’s word on it. It will be a fiery end, "blazing like an oven," the prophet Malachi tells us. Those who have done evil will be burned up like stubble. But for the righteous, those who fear the Lord, the end will come with salvation, healing, and light.

The main point of this sober reminder is that we might be prepared for our Lord’s coming. That is why, amid the somewhat frightening words of today’s Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples three promises. They are meant to encourage us and help us to be prepared for the end. These are the three promises: first, you will be persecuted and hated; second, you will be given wisdom in speaking to those who accuse you; and third, if you persevere, you will be saved.

Now that first promise, that you will be persecuted and hated, is not a very happy one. What kind of encouragement is that? But, you see, our Lord is being honest with us—he is not trying to sugarcoat the truth. And this is a sign that he truly loves us. It’s not real love and it’s no help at all when we say to someone, "don’t worry, everything will be all right," when we know full well that everything won’t be all right. That’s the devil’s trick—he lies to us and lulls us into a false sense of security. That’s exactly what he did with Eve in the very beginning: "If you eat the fruit, you will not surely die." But our blessed Lord does not lie to us—he tells us the truth because he loves us and respects us. And, even though the truth might not be very pleasant at times, knowing the truth will make us stronger and will help us to be prepared for the worst.

The second promise is more positive and encouraging: "I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute." Of course, the context of this promise is not very happy: "they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons," Jesus tells us, "and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name." But we know that even in those difficult situations, and others like them, Jesus will not abandon us—he will be with us and he will give us all the graces we need to withstand our enemies.

Joan of Arc was a simple peasant girl of 19 who could neither read nor write. And yet, through the Lord’s guidance, she was able to lead the armies of France in victory over the English who had oppressed and enslaved them for many years. After she had beaten the English, she was sold into their hands so that they might bring her to trial, falsely accuse her, and destroy her. During her trial, she was given no counsel, and had to stand before 62 wicked men who sought only to trap her in her words. At one point in the trial, Joan told her judges how she had received special graces from the Lord. At this, they asked her a seemingly innocent question, "And are you in the state of grace?" It was a wicked question because if she said "yes" she would be guilty of the sin of presumption, since no one can know with absolute certainty that he or she is in the state of grace. But if she said "no," she would be admitting to her accusers that she was, in fact, in the state of mortal sin. Either way she would be condemned, and by her own words. How would this uneducated teenager answer a question posed with such evil intent? She responded without hesitation and with complete simplicity: "If I am in the state of grace, I pray the Lord will keep me there; and if I am not in the state of grace, I pray the Lord will lead me there." The amazing wisdom of this answer could only have come from the Lord, and, at least for the moment, it completely silenced her accusers. This is the same wisdom the Lord promises to each one of us who trust in him.

The third promise is the best one of all, and the most encouraging: "You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives." In other words, if you persevere to the end, you will be saved. To persevere simply means to remain faithful to the Lord—to trust in his promises, in his grace, in his love. When things go wrong, when we suffer setbacks and disappointments and difficulties, it’s easy to conclude that the Lord has abandoned us. And yet, this is precisely what he has promised, so how could he abandon us? We must persevere—we must not abandon our faith in him because he remains with us to guide us and to give us all the graces we need to endure whatever sufferings might come our way. Elsewhere in the gospel Jesus tells us, "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world."

Jesus has conquered the world through his own suffering and death. Therefore, he can help us to conquer as well. This life is full of trouble, but this life is very short and the life to come will last forever. Know that the Lord is with you every step of the way, persevere to the end he will bring you to everlasting happiness, peace, and joy in his eternal presence.