True Beauty Beyond The Temple

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

November 17, 2025

in Spritual Growth

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November 16, 2025

Readings: Malachi 3: 13-4:2a, 5-6
2 Thessalonians 3:6-11
Luke 21:5-19

23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time 2025 Homily – Abp. Hines

God has much to speak to us, and yet many times we do not pay attention. He created us in His image and likeness and gave us the ability to be like Him. We do not realize that we’ve been given everything pertaining to life and godliness. When Solomon built the temple, he used the best materials available at that time. He used prime gold, marble, the most precious of stones to proclaim the beauty of the temple. Jesus now is talking about the temple. That no matter how beautifully adorned it was, with the best stones and marbles, time will come when all of this will be destroyed. Solomon wanted the best. So, he had the temple built in excellence. Even today, there are beautiful cathedrals with amazing architecture. But they are mostly empty. All the beauty, wasted. Jesus’ analogy of the temple to be destroyed is that all the beauty that man has built is just temporary. Because what is truly beautiful is not the structure, but the presence of Christ in it and the people working together to accomplish His will.

Christ was going to give hope to mankind. We should not put our faith in things that are temporary. Christ was referring to things to come; that nations will be in conflict with one another. That there will be earthquakes and famines, plagues, persecutions. Jesus knew something we did not know. He knew that we could stand in the midst of the storm and conquer it. “By your endurance, you will gain your life.” And “not even a hair on your head will be lost.”

We have a mindset that we need to have certain things to survive. Christ was demonstrating the power of God in us. He was challenging us that there will be tough times, but we should never give up. With God, all things are possible. God allows certain situations to happen in our lives to make us strong. He knows our potential. We often ask God, “when?” But we need to be prepared at all times. When things come against us, the more we should hold on to His promises. The beauty may be nice, it may be good, but what matters is that we overcome.