THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

[cappie]

 

In this, the second-to-the-last week of the Church year, Jesus has finally made it to Jerusalem.

Near to His passion and death, He gives us a teaching of hope Jesus speaks about what will happen in “those days.” He says, “the sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its brightness, the stars will come falling from heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

Following those traumatic events, people “will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”

We usually understand that passage as referring to the end of time when Jesus will return in triumph. No one knows the day or the hour so we must be prepared.

However, in that passage Jesus also says, “I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all these things will have taken place..”

In this passage the one thing that we must retain is the fact that Jesus did foretell that he would come again.

To keep the passage focused only on the future we must interpret “generation” as referring to all of humanity. But perhaps “generation” means just what it says. In that case, Jesus was saying that the events he was speaking about would occur in the lifetime of those who heard his words. And they did.

That first Good Friday, the world fell apart for those first disciples of Jesus. For them the powers of heaven were shaken and darkness reigned. We read in Matthew’s account of the Passion, “from noon onward, darkness came over the whole land.” Then when Jesus died, “the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split.”

On Easter Sunday and in the days that followed the disciples saw “the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” as the Risen Lord appeared to them. With his coming from the tomb, the elect began to be gathered and the Church was born.

In addition, the words, “this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place” can also mean the passage applies to us, to our generation. For we are living in a time when horrific events that shake humanity and darken our world are reported each day – terrorism, wars, brutality, the persecution of Christians, natural disasters, mass migrations, economic insecurity, abortion, euthanasia, corruption, moral relativism, etc.

Yet despite those tribulations, for those who see with the eyes of faith, Jesus continues to come in glory. He comes to us through his word, through the sacraments, and through his Church, and he continues to “gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.” The Lord Jesus continues to draw people to himself.

Sunday’s Gospel has a message that applies not only to the future, but also to the past and the present as well. God’s word is for all times. God’s word is for all generations.

In practical terms, what does living with this clear awareness really mean?
What does it mean to “be watchful,” or, as today’s Psalm puts it, to “set the Lord ever before” us and “keep him at our right hand” so that we will not be “disturbed.”

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.

This is what we can call keeping a healthy “God-life.”

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.

Jesus was honest, courageous, gentle, patient, forgiving, humble, pure, faithful…

Every single day he gives us opportunities to learn to follow his example, getting our souls ready for the great adventure of heaven.

The apocalyptic themes at the end of the liturgical year are moments to take stock of where we stand before God and one another-re-examining our life priorities and recognizing the opportunity for change, and remembering and being encouraged by the fact that, through Christ, good has overcome evil and everything is ultimately in God’s hands.