XXXIII Sunday in Ordinary time

DAN. 12:1-3; HEBR 10:11-14, 18; MARK 13:24-32

There is a movie out 2012 which projects the theme of the end of the world in 2012. Numerology tells: according to Mayan calendar the world is going to end on August 13th,2012 at sharp 11:11 am. There have been many instances in the past when people predicted the end of the world at a particular time in history and came to naught. French prophet and astrologer Nostradamus (1503-1566) foretold that the world would end when Easter fell on April 25. This happened 4 time after his predictions; it will occur again in 2038. The Jehovah’s Witnesses frightened gullible followers at least 3 times during the last century with their “end of the world” predictions in 1914, 1918 and 1974. It is this paranoid fear that led people to die in the mass suicides organized by Heaven’s Gate and Jim Jones.
Today’s readings are full of gloom and doom. It is more of a prophetic presentation of a time of distress where all that is usual, predictable and reliable will be shaken. The stars, sun, moon as symbols of order will be replaced by the “Son of Man” coming upon the earth to reestablish the original creational harmony. This readings remind us that we should be well prepared and always ready to meet Jesus at any time, whether at the end of our lives or at the end of the world, whichever comes first. Jesus finishes the discourse by saying: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” We do not know, because we do not need to know. As he said it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority." (Mk 13:32.)
God has seen fit to assure us that history has a purpose, and that it will come to an end, and that we should always keep this in mind. It is enough for us to know that we are part of a story that has meaning and that it will come to a definitive end. At that time, we will receive just recompense for how we carried out our role in the story.
Jesus doesn’t speak about these events in order to scare us, but in order to motivate us. This predictions of the end of the world, are a reminder of his endless love. God loves us all and wants us all to be saved and to live together with him in heaven. It is Good News for us all and we look forward to that Day of Days when God’s purpose is finally achieved. Telling us about it gives us a chance to organize our lives accordingly, to build our lives on the everlasting rock of Christ our Savior.
Jesus says to be watchful. What does it mean to be watchful ? It means three things. First, it means making our personal relationship with God a true priority through daily prayer, ongoing study of our faith, and frequent reception of the sacraments.
Second, it means sharing with others the news that Jesus has shared with us. Jesus died not only for those of us who are here today, but also for those who aren’t. If we don’t tell them the message of Christ, who will?
Third, it means following Christ’s example in our daily lives. Every single day he gives us opportunities to learn to follow his example, getting our souls ready for the great adventure of heaven.
The Second Coming, the New Age, the New Epoch, can and should be happening throughout this day and week. But the Last Judgement is not something we should fear. In a real sense it is something we should rejoice in for it marks the culmination and finalisation of God’s plan for the world. We have all to face death. It is the most significant moment of our lives. It is the moment for which everything else is but a preparation.
In 1999, in the month of July, Pope John Paul II shocked the Christian world when he made these statements in his Wednesday audience:
Heaven, or the happiness in which we will find ourselves, is neither an abstraction nor a physical place in the clouds, but a personal relation [with God]. .. This final condition can be anticipated in a certain sense now on earth.... Moreover, the pictures of Hell given to us in Sacred Scripture must be correctly interpreted. They express the total frustration and emptiness of a life without God. More than a place, Hell is the state of the one who freely and finally removes himself from God, the source of life and joy.
Christ is more interested in the way we conduct our lives this moment rather than tomorrow. He is more eager to see us improve life for others today than He is to remove us from it.

Let us recognize the “second coming” of Jesus in our daily lives through everyday occurrences, always remembering that Jesus comes without warning. But let us not get frightened at the thought of Christ’s Second Coming because he is with us every day in the Holy Eucharist, in the Holy Bible and in our worshipping communities. We will be able to welcome him in his Second Coming as long as we faithfully do the will of God daily and get reconciled with God and with our brothers and sisters every day.