Dn. 12: 1-3; Ps. 16: 5, 8-11; Heb. 10: 11-14, 18; Mk. 13: 24-32
We are now coming to the end of the Church year and with it the readings focus on eschatology, the “last things or end times” to prepare us for the second coming of Jesus. Who is wise? Wise is the person who seeks knowledge to make perfect the judgement of reason. Wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit first given to us in baptism. A wise person is concerned with where they will spend eternity. This concern alone causes a wise person to seek knowledge to make perfect in judgement the path of life they are following to be ready.
Death is a clear sign of the end in this world as we know it for the person who dies. To speak of the end of the world as we know it in a cosmic sense or to use the word “eschatology” or “last things” is rarely preached in part because it lies in a veil of mystery. Death can seem surreal until we experience it in the loss of someone and we are reminded of our mortality. Jesus lets his disciples know that even he does not know only the Father knows when the consummation of the divine plan of salvation will happen but that is not a reason not to reflect on his coming. What we do know is that the beginning of the end times began with the birth of Christ and continues to unfold until the second coming. In the interim we “are to be vigilant at all times” knowing our own particular death and particular judgment can happen at any time.
The plan of salvation is our daily call to repentance, to prayer for God’s mercy, and to celebrate life for the passing from this life is a sign of victory over death and a promise of eternal life. That day will bring us a general resurrection of the body, general judgment, heaven or hell. This divine event hangs over the world. He warns that in those days the “sun will be darkened and the moon will not give light”. This is the darkness of horror and disgrace from sin whether in the persecution of the early church or in our times. How many souls are being lost due to a darkened consciousness that gives no light to the world? They live without the light of the Holy Spirit and their souls are darkened from the sight of God. God is known by the light of reason, by the wonder of the natural law all around, by the coming of the Holy Spirit but so many fail to seek, fail to call to the one waiting to come into our lives. We fail the test of wisdom when we fail to seek Jesus who is our inheritance.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church #675 states in part “Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution…will unveil the ‘mystery of iniquity’ in the form of religious deception at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God…” When clergy glorify themselves within the Catholic Church with iniquity in the abuse of others it shakes the faith of many believers and is an apostasy to the grace given in baptism and ordination. The mystery of iniquity is the gross injustice by the abuse of authority and power within the Church. Fear not, Christ is faithful to his promise. Persevere in truth Christ does not abandon his bride. Jesus message is of a God who is patient, loving and merciful, waiting “until his enemies are made his footstool”. His enemies are those who promote a culture of death in pseudo-messianism.
In the book of Daniel we are reminded “Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people” is here to “defend us in the battle, be our protection against the snares of the devil” that we may not fall into an “everlasting horror and disgrace”. This week the US Catholic Conference of Bishops met to confront the crisis of horror and disgrace facing the church for failing to protect the most vulnerable. It is the crisis of our times in the church. First we must define the “crisis” to respond in good judgment. It is a crisis of trust by those choosing to betray the trust given them in abusing others and in danger of “an everlasting horror and disgrace”. It is a crisis of leadership in failing to respond with action and act wisely to protect the flock once the horror is revealed. Finally it is a crisis of faith when our mother church is harmed by a shepherd shaking the faith of believers.
It is in these days of tribulation we are to “Learn a lesson from the fig tree.” The fig tree is itself a sign of hope in the tree of life and the cycle of life. Generations come and pass but his word is everlasting to the present moment. The “branch becomes tender and sprouts new leaves” meaning new life in the spirit during times of persecution and “unsurpassed in distress”. This is the time when great saints come forward to testify to the truth and bring conversion to the poor in spirit. If not now when? If not us who? The Lord has set aside our “allotted portion and my cup” and he “holds fast my lot”. It is like a treasure we hold but if we lack the wisdom to act in good judgment for the good it is intended we are like the foolish bridesmaids unprepared for the coming savior. The history of the church is marked by great saints and faithful clergy yet we are always to pray for them, for faithfulness, wisdom, and leadership.
There are many “stars” of sanctity “who lead the many to justice” in the church and as we pray for them let us pray for ourselves as we discern together to make perfect in judgment the path to follow. We also are called to be stars of sanctity and “shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament” that is the heavens. It challenges us to question “where do we want to spend eternity”? He provides each of us “the path to life”. If we desire the “fullness of joys (in his) presence, the delights…forever” we cannot be lukewarm followers or lukewarm clergy. Lukewarm by the faithful is living up to traditions in the church but our hearts are far from Jesus. Lukewarm by clergy is clericalism to fulfill the duties of the church and not the calling to be an imitation of Christ. From the wood of the tree Jesus was crucified on the cross as the single offering of his life for our sins. Our offering we bring to him now in the sacrifice of the Mass is the gift of love we have given him this week by loving others, especially the stranger.
The readings also are a word of great hope. Our names to be found written in the book of life are the promise of our inheritance and we rejoice in confidence because Christ is with us prepared to show us the path to life when we seek him. Jesus Word will last forever spreading to the four corners of the world. When Jesus says “Amen, I say to you this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place” it leads his disciples to think the second coming will be in their lifetime. They lived through the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, their own persecution, and the end to the old covenant of animal sacrifices and the beginning of the new covenant. Many who had fallen asleep were awaken as Jesus descends to the dead after his death bringing salvation for everlasting life or everlasting horror and disgrace. That generation was given the fullness of the gospel message as every generation since then as earthly kingdoms rise and fall.
What about us, our generation? The world as we know it will come to an end as all previous generations before have. We see signs of the soul in darkness, horror, and disgrace in this world in many forms. We see the clouds of darkness of our world. We have the cloud of “euthanasia” under the veil of “quality of life” who sees no value in redemptive suffering but offers the choice to “die with dignity” wanting to preserve the ego without thought of eternity. There is the cloud of “my right to choose” by giving life or denying life to the unborn. There is the cloud of “cloning” to breed new life as preserving life but can there truly be another “you” without God? There is the cloud of “moral relativism” to deny any truth but that of the individual thus denying there is a God at all. There is the cloud of “gender identity” under the option of “questioning who I choose to be” denying who God created us to be. The list continues to bring the clouds of darkness into the world and giving rise to our own times of great distress.
The tree of life in the church is being pruned of the dead branches that bring disease and steal the rich soil of its nutrients that is its’ faithful followers. In visiting Israel and going to the Garden of Gethsemane there were trees thousands of years old wide at the base but quickly they became thin with new branches and leaves sprouting out. These trees are visible signs of the foundation of the church for thousands of years and we are the new branch as the Church in our community of St. Francis Xavier here in La Feria, Texas giving new leaves of life to make perfect in judgment our path of life.
The tree of life is Jesus who knows all these things will pass and has prepared a place for those who remain vigilant. Shine like a star in heaven together with the saints and our Blessed Mother for the Son is at the right hand of the Father. Faith and reason will lead us to the truth; Jesus is the truth where wisdom is found.
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