OT:XXXIII:(C): Malachi 3:19-20a; 2 Thes 3:7-12; Lk 21:5-19

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, today’s Gospel presents us with the classic text on the “end times.” Throughout history, there have always been voices ready to stoke anxiety by interpreting these words with fear and doom. But the Christian response is not panic—it is calm trust in God’s providence.

Just listen to the reassurance embedded within the Gospel itself: “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father.” If Christ Himself, in His humanity, does not reveal the day or the hour, can any preacher, sect, or doomsayer claim to know more? Jesus assures us of the certainty of His return and the gathering of His chosen, but the colorful imagery—sun darkening, stars falling—is the language of symbol and prophecy, not an apocalyptic weather forecast.

It helps to remember that when Scripture speaks of the end of the world, it often refers to the end of a particular world—the world of a generation or a people—rather than the absolute end of all things. Jesus’ words, “This generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place,” were fulfilled in the passing of the world known to His hearers: the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Similar events throughout history—from the fall of Rome to the tragedies of our own era—have seemed like world-ending disasters, but each marks the close of one chapter and the opening of another in salvation history.

Yet none of this lessens the seriousness of Christ’s call. His words are not meant for speculation, but for conversion. We do not know when our personal end will come. For each of us, it could be this very night. That is why Jesus urges us to remain vigilant. To live each day ready to meet Him—not out of fear, but out of hope.

The “end times”—so often reduced to a date on a calendar or an era of catastrophe—are, more deeply, about a Person: our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of history. According to Christian belief, we have been living in the “end times” since the Incarnation, when God entered history and began the final era of salvation. This period stretches from Christ’s first coming until His return in glory. Every age experiences suffering, upheaval, and renewal, but these are not omens for calculation—they are invitations to repent, to grow in fidelity and holiness.

When disaster, hardship, or persecution arise, Christians are strengthened by Christ’s promise: “By your endurance, you will gain your lives.” Endurance—not anxiety or despair—is our call.

Too often, talk of the world’s end presents a warped image of God—as an angry judge eager to punish. But Scripture tells us otherwise: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love…for He knows how we are formed, He remembers we are dust” (Psalm 103:8-14). The God we await is not quick to wrath, but rich in mercy.

So, what is the true meaning of the world’s end? It is not terror before cosmic destruction, but the Christian’s confident hope in the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ. In the end, Christ will return in glory, bodily resurrection will take place, and perfect justice and mercy will be revealed. Until then, we are called—not to obsessive worry—but to live in a state of grace, anchored by the sacraments, guided by the Word, and sustained by the virtues of faith, hope, and love.

There is no need to fear the end, for we belong to a Church that already knows how the story concludes: Christ is victorious, “as He was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”