You
Alone Will Endure. All Else Shall Come to Pass
Mk
13: 24 – 32
33rd
Sunday in Ordinary Time
Introduction
Today’s gospel speaks about the time when Jesus would come
again in glory. His coming signals the
passing and the end of everything. This would also signal the time when he
would gather all those who have been faithful and have waited for him.
The
Gospel
Our reading speaks about the time when Jesus spoke to his
disciples about the end of days. Jesus said: “ 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.”
Jesus tells his disciples that the end of days will be
preceded by a time of testing, or what he calls, a time of tribulation. Then, after
this, the end will be heralded by a cosmic upheaval, where the various heavenly
bodies like the sun, moon and stars would cease to follow their usual path and
behavior, resulting in some kind of cosmic chaos.
When this great cataclysm happens, Jesus, the Son of Man,
will come amidst the clouds with great power and glory. “He will then send out
the angels and gather his elect from the four winds from the end of the earth
to the end of the sky.”
So while Jesus’ coming in glory may signal the end of everything,
it shall not be the end for the faithful
people, who despite persecutions or tribulations, have waited for the Lord’s
coming.
These people, whom the gospel calls, the “elect,” will be
gathered by the angels and will be united with Jesus in glory. The elect have
persevered and have hoped for the Lord’s coming in the midst of tribulations.
Now Jesus comes back for them to share his glory with them.
Jesus then gives his disciples a kind of parable that somehow
gives us some idea when the end is
coming, saying : “ Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes
tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when
you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates.”
Jesus was telling his disciples to watch carefully the
signs that would accompany his coming. As the natural order sends signs and signals
telling that a season is about to come and go, so too will the coming of Jesus
be accompanied by signs that will ascertain that Jesus is indeed near, at the
gates.
Jesus then tells his hearers that they themselves shall
witness the end of days, saying:” Amen, I say to you, this generation will not
pass away until all these things have taken place.”
The early Christians awaited the Lord’s coming in glory.
They were hoping and expecting Jesus to come again during their lifetimes. To
this day, the Church continues this tradition of waiting for the Lord’s coming.
She waits in hope for that day to come when she will be united with her Lord
who comes in glory.
Lastly, Jesus tells them: “ Heaven and earth will pass away
but my words will not pass away. “ He then
further discloses to them something about the time of his coming, saying: “But
of that day or hour; no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son,
but only the Father.”
Reflection
The image of the end of days and the coming of the Lord in
glory elicits from many, feelings of fear and anxiety. This is perhaps a normal
reaction, given the fact that this end is described with words like tribulations,
falling stars, failing sun and moon. Such a description only makes one imagine
a collapsing world that is coming to a violent end. Consequently, such an end also speaks about
the end of life itself, including our own life.
But the description of the end in cataclysmic terms simply
tells us one thing: that everything has an end. All the things that we see,
everything that we are familiar with shall all come to an end someday.
But while the end of time tells us that nothing will remain,
it also tells us on the other hand, that
which shall remain and that which shall not come to pass. As the entire
universe disintegrates, it is the eternal Jesus, who comes in glory. Together
with the angels, Jesus gathers all who have remained faithful to him and have
persevered despite trials and tribulations. To them, Jesus, the Lord of
history, gives the gift of eternal life – a life that will know no end, a life
that will no longer come to pass.
When we see the end of time in the light of Jesus who
returns for us, it should give us great comfort and peace, knowing that our
savior returns specifically for us who have hoped in him in the midst of a
world that is coming to an end.
When that day comes, the Lord shall wipe every tear from
our eyes. He shall remove all the sorrow
and pain that this failing world has inflicted upon us. And when we see the
Lord coming in glory, in the midst of a collapsing world, we shall know that
indeed, heaven and earth shall pass away, and that only him and his words shall
never pass away.
Let us ask the Lord the grace to remain faithful to him,
even in the midst of hardships; to hope in him alone and not in created things
which will all someday pass away.
Prayer
Dear Lord, at times I have put my trust and faith in this
created world; in created wealth, and in created things. Today, however, you
tell me, that all created reality will one day pass away and that you alone
will endure. Give me the grace to put my faith and hope in you as I await your
coming in glory in that kingdom that never ends. Amen.
“ Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope
comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not
be shaken. “ - Psalm
62: 5- 6
For more reflections like this, visit my blog: thevineyardlaborer.blogspot.com
Comments
Post a Comment