"But of that day or hour, no one knows"
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
This weekend's readings shift toward speaking about the end times. The reason for this is because the Church's liturgical calendar is coming to an end. There are 34 Sundays in Ordinary Time, with the last being the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. After that the calendar begins again with the First Sunday of Advent, celebrated on Sunday, December 1 this year.
So, as we approach the end of the calendar, the first reading, from the Prophet Daniel, speaks of the final days in a way that may sound similar to what is in the Book of Revelation. Daniel tells us that this time "shall be a time unsurpassed in distress" but that "your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book." He speaks of people rising from the dead and ends with “the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever." So, while it will be a difficult time, there is hope for those who know the Lord and follow after him!
The Gospel then has Jesus also speaking about that day, dropping some hints about the signs of its coming, saying: "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." Many people over the centuries have seen things that sound like this and have predicted that the end was happening... and then it didn't. And that makes sense, because Jesus tells us at the end of this Gospel, "But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
So, what does all of this tell us? First, it tells us that there is no way to know when the end is coming! While Jesus mentions signs, even those signs are not unheard of occurrences (we had a solar eclipse this summer!). So, don't be fooled by people looking at the scriptures and claiming to have some secret knowledge, for Jesus tells us that even he doesn't know! Second, let us live our lives as if today were the day! Seek to grow in wisdom and in virtue, seek to bring about justice, and seek to be the love of God in the world today. Then, when that day does finally come, we will not be caught off guard and hopefully, in God's mercy, our names will be among those found written in the book, as Daniel prophesies!
Want to prepare your heart and mind for Sunday's Mass? Click here to find the readings.