Mal. 3:19-20; 2 Thess. 3:7-12; Lk. 21:5-19
The Liturgical year of the church is coming to an
end. Next Sunday, we shall celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, and the
Sunday after, we shall start the New Liturgical Year.
Today's readings direct our attention to the End of
the World, otherwise known as the Last Things, or the Day of the Lord. “The End
Time” is a theme spoken of in all the religious writings, in the traditions of
every society, and celebrated much in literature.
Childhood’s End is a science fiction novel written
by Sir Arthur C Clarke. In this novel, he describes that humanity is visited by
aliens who resemble Satan. The aliens, named in the novel as the overlords, are
seen in the role of "heralds" for a god-like force named the
Overmind. A transformation occurs in the last human generation, which
ultimately merges with this Overmind and resulting in the destruction of the
earth and the solar system.
All the religions have their own beliefs
about the end of the world, the triumph of good over evil and Judgment Day.
In Christianity, the End Times are often depicted
as a time of tribulations that precedes the Second Coming of Jesus. Jesus on
his Second Coming will usher in the Kingdom of God and bring an end to suffering
and evil. In slam the “Day of Resurrection" or “the Day of Judgment",
Allah's final assessment of humanity, is preceded by the end of the world. In
Judaism the term "End of Days" is taken as a reference to the
Messianic era and the Jewish belief in the coming of Messiah.
During the First Reading from the Book of
Malachi, we heard the Lord say, "'See, the day is coming, burning
like a furnace; and all the arrogant and all evildoers will be like
stubble; the day that is coming shall burn them up,' says the Lord of hosts, '
leaving them neither root nor branch.'
In other words, the evildoers will be wiped off the face of the earth. When they die, there will be no tombstone to mark their graves. Over time, their existence will fade away from the memories of the passing generations.
In other words, the evildoers will be wiped off the face of the earth. When they die, there will be no tombstone to mark their graves. Over time, their existence will fade away from the memories of the passing generations.
In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus’ announcing the destruction of Jerusalem, that of the world and his second coming. Some of the faithful believed that Jesus was about to return at any time to establish His Kingdom. Therefore they refused to work. One of such community was that of Thessalonica. To such persons, St. Paul commands and exhorts in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. [2 Thess. 3:12] Every Christian, when he is able to do so, must support himself and not live off the income or wealth of the others.
The same false belief has been held throughout
every generation, even to this day. The Shakers thought the world would be over
in 1792, while the Jehovah’s Witnesses pegged various years between 1914 and
1994 as an end date. More recently, some doomsday forecasters have focused on
the year 2012.
The Day of Judgment and the End of the World ought
to cause us to think more about what is valuable to do today. The Church puts
the Last Days in front of us so that we can judge what is right and what is
wrong in what we are doing in the present. Rollo May, A popular writer,
once observed, “The most effective way to ensure the value of the future is
confront the present courageously and constructively.” When we live the present
responsibly and meaningfully, we are preparing ourselves for the second coming
of Jesus into our lives.
The Day of Judgment for every person is his own
death. It can happen at any time, in any way. The end of the world for me can
be through an accident, by means of death by old age, or by means of a
natural calamity. The recent floods in various parts of the world caused
thousands of death, and it was the end of the world for them; the atom bombs
dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused thousands of people feel that
it was the Day of Judgment for them. The tsunami that swept the shores of
Indian Ocean brought the world to an end for thousands. So, we must wait for
this great moment.
But while waiting for this great moment
to come, we must adjust to a long period of waiting and persecution. But,
Jesus also has promised us his infallible assistance in our attempt to
make our life meaningful. He has assured us that, “Your endurance will win you
your lives.”
Satish