WITH THE LORD, THERE IS FULLNESS OF SALVATION
The end of time is a moment of celebrating with the Lord the fullness of salvation. It is not a reckoning time of death, judgment and punishment. Our Christian reality is one that whether we are dead or alive, we are in the Lord.
As such, the Second Coming is not something for us to be afraid of rumours of many frightening things happening in heaven and earth.
The projection could be that the end is at hand. The prognostic that things are going to be difficult economically, politically, emotionally or health-wise. There are much fake and panicking news of the end times with uncertainties of the year to come.
Hence, the end times or Second Coming is the most controversial topic in religion and particularly Christendom since its inception. It is a bastardized theme that has subjected Christianity to all sorts of interpretations, doctrines, teachings and manipulations in the name of God.
OUR THEME
The end of the Liturgical Calendar of the Church invites us to a time of reflection and evaluation of our Christian lives. It is a moment to renew hope and confidence in the Lord of time, history, and space.
This penultimate Sunday to the end of the liturgical year of the Church, the scriptural readings give us a sense of hope and assurance amidst uncertainties and fears. They give us the feeling of confidence that our God will be with us all the days of our lives.
We are reminded that we will have the ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst. The Spirit that guides, protects, and strengthens us despite our uncertainties concerning the end time when “Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” In other words, there is always a mixed feeling about ending. These feelings come with all go-well or all turn-bad or all so-so. Many people live in fear, with insecurity or with uncertainty about their fate.
Traditionally, the catholic faith calls us to reflect on these four last things of our earthly life: death, judgment, heaven or hell.
In summary, the readings of this Sunday present us with themes of the last days, end times, being prepared, faithfulness to God and salvation. Dan.12:1-3; Heb.10:11-14,18; Mk.13:24-32.
FIRST READING: DANIEL 12:1-13
The first reading today is from the Book of Daniel 12:1-3 is all about the final vision. It is a judgment call that reminds us of rewards and punishment. As well as the divine assistance from heavenly hosts in trial times of life.
The imagery of Daniel is similar to the apocalyptical vision of John in the Book of Revelation. It is a salvific vision of our redemption by God through a prefigured person of Christ. The King, Lord and Savior of all, history, space, and time: past, present and future.
The end time is a moment of the intervention of God and his agents in our human predicaments. The beatific vision of hope over despairs, victory over defeat, peace over conflict, as well as righteousness and faithfulness over inconstancies.
Indeed, many biblical scholars believe that the prophecies of Daniel (167 BC), was given to comfort and give hope to the Jewish people. A nation persecuted by a cruel pagan king. It advises us to live wisely and justly in the present time, instead of worrying about the unknown future.
No doubt, the vision of Prophet Daniel is about fearful, terrible and horrifying images of the end of time. It is also about the hope of the resurrection of the dead in God. Here, the Lord of history, space, time: past, present and future are tied to salvation, not the destruction of any kind.
PSALM 16
Through the Psalm Response for today, the psalmist offers us comfort and hope that the Lord will be our inheritance in the moment of uncertainties and life chaos.
This is the song the Holy Spirit of God wants us to sing faith affirmation in Christ Jesus, the Lord and Savior of history. “You are my inheritance, O Lord!”
The phrases from the psalm like my chosen portion, my cup or my destiny invite us to find faith and trust in God. We are assured by the psalmist that there is fullness of joy in the Lord. Likewise, there is salvation in the presence of the Lord.
Hence, our hearts, souls and bodies should find their rest and security in God.
SECOND READING: HEBREWS 10:11-14, 18
The second reading is from the Letter to the Hebrew invites us to relive the perfect offering or sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The eternal high priest of our faith that brought us peace, harmony and reconciliation with God.
This is because Christ offered a single sacrifice for sins that is valid for all time. The passion for the death and resurrection of Christ has many significances and implications in our Christian life.
It could not be repeated. There is something unrepeatable about any noble work that is absolutely perfect.
It needed not be repeated since it is a demonstration of the perfect love of God to us. In Jesus life of service and death of love, we see the full display of the heart of God.
It is the exaltation of Jesus over death, shame and failure. The victory of God over Satan, sins, evil and guilt.
There is a wholeness about the life of Jesus that perhaps we ought to give more thought to. His life is incomplete without his death, and his death is not complete without his resurrection. Equally, we can affirm that also his resurrection is incomplete without his return to glory.
It is the same Jesus who lived and died and rose again and is now at the right hand of God.
This triumphant victory of Christ over the enemies of God invites a Christian life free of sins and guilt.
THE GOSPEL: MARK 13:24-32
The Gospel presents us the gloomy images of the horrible end time. It is a judgment call to all to be abreast with end time signals, the certainty of the end time as well as the uncertainty of its precision time, day or hour.
The gospel text is equally warnings about the second coming of Christ in an unexpected manner, and we need to be prepared.
THE CONCEPTION OF THE END TIME OR THE SECOND COMING OF THE LORD
The day of the Lord was to be preceded by a time of wars, conflicts and hardships. The many books of the Old Testament declared that before the end time, there will come. There will be all kinds of difficulties. Hence, when Jesus spoke of wars and rumours of wars. He was using pictures that were part and parcel of Jewish dreams of the future.
The day of the Lord was to be preceded by the darkening of sun and moon. The Old Testament itself is full of that (Am.8:9, Jl.2:10, Jl.3:15, Eze.32:7-8, Isa.13:10, Isa.34:4). Again the popular literature in the days of Jesus is full of it, too.
It was a regular part of the imagery that the Jews were to be gathered back to Palestine. That is from the four corners of the earth. The Old Testament itself is full of that idea (Isa.27:13; Isa.35:8-10; Mic.7:12; Zech.10:6-11). Once more, popular literature loves the idea of the restoration of Israel and its glory.
It is important to note that when we read the pictorial words of Jesus about the Second Coming. We must remember that he is giving us neither a map of eternity nor a timetable for the future. Instead, Christ is simply using the language or pictures that many Jew knew and used for centuries before him.
However, it is fundamental to know that all the things Jesus prophesied were fact happening. That is before, during, and after his days. He prophesied wars, earthquakes, famine, ecological and strange signs.
In this passage, the one thing that we must retain is the fact that Jesus did foretell that he would come again. The imagery we can disregard. Though this chapter of Mark is a difficult one, in the end, it had permanent truth to tell us about the end time.
It tells us that only the person with a close or intimate relationship with God can see into the secrets of history. Jesus saw the fate of Jerusalem, although others were blind to it.
In other words, a real statesman or leader must be a man of God. To guide his country, he must be himself God-guided. Only the man who knows God can enter into something of the plan of God.
It tells us two things about the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ. First, it tells us that it contains a fact or truth. That is, if we forget could lead to our peril.
Secondly, it tells us that the imagery in which it is clothed is the imagery of the time or moment of God. And that to speculate on it is useless when Jesus himself was content not to know. The one thing of which we can be sure is that history is going to be realized. Somewhere, in the plan of the salvation of God. There is a consummation to come in Christ Jesus through the action of the Holy Spirit.
It tells us that of all things that to forget God and to become immersed in the earth is the most foolish thing we can do. The wise man is he who never forget that he must be ready when the summons comes. If he lives in that memory, in the end, he will triumph over all odds. There will be blissfulness, peace, harmony and eternal joy for him.
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS
What is your take on the end time? Moment of reckoning? Fearful images and frightening disposition? Or moment of salvation?
Do you live with the hope of salvation or with the fear of damnation?
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, your end time teachings on death, judgment, heaven and hell are not meant to frighten your disciples, nor should they frighten us.
Instead, they are offered hope and opportunity to prepare us for the changes or challenges we will experience during our lifetimes and at the end times. Help us not live in a fear or panic state amidst the rumours of wars, conflicts, natural disasters, uncertainties, fears and inhumanities of the end times.
Like the psalmist in Ps.16 gave a surety of victory over all odds, when he acclaimed: God you are my inheritance O Lord! Help us remain focused on you, to the finish point of our faith, to trust in you absolutely now and always, the Lord of History, time and space. Amen
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