Nov. 18, 2018: 33rd Sunday B

Nov. 18, 2018: 33rd Sunday B

This week in a small city there was a long line of volunteers serving turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, mash potatoes and gravy. It was estimated that they fed more than 1,000 meals that day just in one location. With all other locations combined in the nearby area, about 10,000 meals were served that day by 45 volunteer chefs and helpers. It was a little too soon for Thanksgiving meals, but for folks camped out in their tents and cars in the parking lots it brought comfort and sense of normalcy.  A week has passed for thousands of evacuees who have been displaced by California’s brutal fires, and it’s starting to sink in that it could be months before homes and entire towns are rebuilt. For most evacuees, their hopes hang low like the prevalent smoke hanging thick in the air. Makeshift shelters in parking lots of Walmarts and department stores are filled with traumatized people who have nowhere else to go. For most them this will be one of the most unusual Thanksgiving holidays they’ll face. There is no other word than ‘apocalyptic’ to describe the devastation by the massive fires. Many wanna-be prophets are already pointing to these fires as signs of the times--that the end of the world is near. There is even a website called ‘Doomsday Clock’ claiming that we are now only 2 minutes from midnight, the time of our annihilation. Our Lord in the gospel also gave us ominous words of warning about the future, but in a different light and tone. Whereas non-believers are concerned about the grim signs of the times that point to the imminent destruction of mankind, Our Lord emphasizes the triumphant and joyful day when he returns to earth in all his glory and splendor.  

He said to his disciples, "In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.” For Christians, the “end of the world” is not the day to be feared but a day filled with hope because it is the final completion of history and the beginning of the full reign of God. At Holy Mass, we recite in the Creed, “On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” When that glorious day of the Second Coming arrives, Jesus will be acknowledged universally as Lord with the dead rising and and all human beings judged in the presence of Christ our King. When will this happen? Our Lord said, the day will not be known to us. He urged us to prepare and stay vigilant like a faithful servant who expects his master to return at any moment.

With our lives being so busy and preoccupied with things of this world, we need to be reminded of the scripture verses, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mk 12:29-31) A good question to ask ourselves is, ‘Have we shown gratitude to the Heavenly Father for all that we have received’? The Eucharist is also known as ‘thanksgiving.’  Have we in the past found time to go hunting, shopping, or recreation but complained that we don’t have time to give thanks to God in the Holy Eucharist? We may choose other priorities over Holy Mass, so we use the excuse that the priest is boring, the music is unexciting, and time is inconvenient to not attend. But the sacrifice of the Mass is not about our convenience, entertainment, or what’s in it for us; it’s all about giving God our heartfelt thanksgiving.

The time in which we are living is a serious time. There are threats of war, famine, political upheavals, earthquakes, and fires. These are the days when we need to decide for God, for dignity of life, for peace, and for the good. We need to decide to banish every hatred and jealousy from our life and our thoughts. We need to devote ourselves instead to God and care for our neighbors. We are given this special time of grace to get to know Our Lord more and love Him more. Develop a habit of prayer, of meditation on scriptures, and of generous giving to our neighbors. We cannot do without God’s blessing in these times. His Grace will shine through us to keep the darkness from enveloping our world. Call on Our Lord and Blessed Mother every moment of your day to come to guide you.