The End is Near (again)
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 158
We are near the end of the liturgical year. In November we spend the month thinking about the last things of death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. Next week, we consider the coming of Christ, our King. Soon, we will enter Advent and turn our attention to the Christ child.
But first, Daniel invites us to consider Heaven and Hell. In the end, he says, some of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake to shine brightly like stars forever. Others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
We are confused by Heaven. We know it is good, but it sounds rather boring, doesn’t it? Why do we want to be there? Because God is there.
In this life, we seek the things that make us happy. In Heaven, we have no need for things to make us happy. This is the end, or the purpose of everything – to have happiness itself. To have God is to have happiness itself. This is the promise of Heaven. Not streets of gold or cherubs sitting on clouds playing harps, or anything else that might make us happy, but happiness itself,
We are uncomfortable with the idea of Hell. We do not like the idea of eternal punishment and separation from God. And yet, it is right and just. Here is how the Catechism begins to discuss Hell:
We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves… Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren. To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.”
CCC 1033
Those are big words, but I think the very most important words are in the first and the last sentence: We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him… Hell is the definitive self-exclusion from communion with God.
Everyone in Heaven chooses to be there by accepting the love and mercy of God. Everyone in Hell chooses to be there of their own free will. Not because they were tricked. Not because they were ignorant. Not because God did not offer love and mercy. Not because they lived in a time or place or situation far from the knowledge of God. Only because they chose to separate themselves from God. If we are choosing to live in mortal sin and cling to the things that separate us from God, we are choosing to be an everlasting horror and disgrace. We are choosing Hell. Mercy is freely offered through repentance and the sacrament of confession. We have no excuse. The end of the year is near. This is the perfect time to start fresh by letting go of our sin and choosing to accept the love and mercy of God.
Jesus also speaks of the end. He warns the people of coming tribulation, and the coming of the Son of Man in power and Glory. He warns them to watch and be ready, because no one knows the hour of his return. Some of his words were fulfilled, at least in part, by the destruction of Jerusalem in the year seventy. Many of his words are yet to be fulfilled, but we know this: The end is coming. Perhaps it is the end of Heaven and Earth. Perhaps it is the end of our life. Perhaps it is the end of life as we know it. We do not know, but we prepare in the same way:
We hold on to what will last.
Today’s Gospel is taken from the thirteenth chapter of Mark. In it, Jesus tells his disciples that all of the great buildings, the nations, and the powers of the earth will be thrown down. False messiahs will come promising salvation, but only Jesus is the way to life. Wars and natural disasters and famines will occur, but we should not fear, they are like labor pains before a joyful birth. We will be persecuted and judged and hated by our own families, but Jesus will be with us.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away
Jesus
What are these words that will not pass away? What does he say?
Love one another as I have loved you. That’s always the punchline, of course – but I want to close with a specific way we can love one another: Listen. Listen to the Word of God. Listen to mother Church when she speaks, and listen to one another. We are so quick to speak, but we are slow to listen.
The Church has begun a year of listening and discernment from this October until next April. Our Bishop will be making a special effort to listen to the people of God in his diocese. I think he is always listening, but I am pleased that he is taking this opportunity to listen more broadly. Often, the only voices he has the opportunity to hear are those with specific agendas demanding attention. I started a little skeptical of this synodal process, but as I thought more about it more, I have become more optimistic. In Jesus’ day, it was common for disciples to seek out a teacher. Jesus was rather unusual in asking people of all types to come and follow him. Thus, it is fitting that our own apostle would go out and invite conversation, rather than waiting for those with agendas to come to him.
Please listen to the scriptures, and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as you prepare to participate in the opportunity to share your thoughts and concerns with our Bishop. Prepare your hearts by going to Confession and spending time in prayer, in worship, and alone with God. What is the Holy Spirit telling you?
But, also, how can you be a voice for people who do not attend church, or do not attend faithfully? What do you hear from your family members and friends who have fallen away from the church? Is there something they have to say that the Holy Spirit is calling you to share with our Bishop?
If you are someone who would prefer not to speak directly, but would like someone to speak on your behalf, I am at your service. Your deacons will have the opportunity to speak with the Bishop on the fourth of December. Is there a message you would like us to bring? If so, please reach out to us; we will be honored to bring to our Bishop any message presented in a spirit of love and compassion.
To be clear – I am not encouraging controversy, disorder, or the pursuit of an agenda. I am encouraging that we first remove the plank from our own eye by repenting and believing the Gospel, then listen to the scriptures, listen to the Holy Spirit, and listen to our neighbors. Then, have the courage to speak the truth in love with the intention of building up the Church of God on earth in order to make her more effective in sharing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through our words and actions, so that when he comes in power and glory, all may welcome his coming with great joy.
