Just a word before we go...Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time...November 17, 2024

Our readings today are apocalyptic, referring to the end of the world. Daniel speaks of “a time unsurpassed in distress,” and the gospel warns us that the sun and moon will lose their light and the stars will fall from the sky. Certainly the conditions of our world, with the hunger and poverty, the refugee crisis, the climate crisis, the divisions among nations, as well as within our country and indeed our church, can make us wonder if the end is near. Our personal worlds may be in distress as well, with the illness or death of a loved one, a financial situation that seems untenable, or a relationship that appears irreparable.  Although other times in history have been rife with tribulations, this is our time on this earth and the problems we are facing can seem insurmountable.

Apocalyptic writing has two purposes: one is to describe dreadful details; the other is to uncover that which might serve to transform the situations in which we find ourselves. One line in the gospel gives us a clue: “learn a lesson from the fig tree.”  In other words, pay attention to the signs around us, specifically to the signs of God around us.  Think the new buds on the fig tree, representing new life, or the other gospel line that says, “ You will see the Son of Man coming with great power and glory.” Look to the ultimate reality of life, which is, that despite all appearances, God is still in charge, still cares, still has the power to makes all things right, and still intends to do just that.

But what will help us to see this reality more clearly, to believe it deeply?  Perhaps by making faith a habit of the heart, one we’ve built a piece at a time over many years, we might eventually develop a heart that is in the habit of saying: “Lord, I know from living that you love me more that I can understand. So, Lord, I entrust myself to you no matter what comes.”  If that is what our hearts have been saying, then when we see the sun or the moon darken in our worlds, or when the stars in our skies seem to disappear, we can remember that we have nothing to fear from the future because we are prepared for that future, faith-filled, inside our hearts.

We are charged with looking for signs of God’s presence, and to spread hope based on those signs. Jesus tells us,“ Do not be afraid.”  And we should always pay attention to what Jesus says.