Dan 12:1-3; Heb 10:11-14, 18; Mk13:24-32
In today's gospel, Jesus speaks about the displacement of celestial
bodies at the end of the world, followed by the appearance of the Son of Man in
glory to establish the Reign of God. The coming of the Son of Man, "in
clouds with great power and glory," echoes a
passage in the Daniel. Cosmic
disturbances of the sun, moon and stars are images traditionally associated
with the manifestations of God's judgment of Israel.
There are numerous predictions about the end of the world. The French
"prophet" and astrologer Nostradamus (1503-1566), foretold that the
world would end when Easter fell on April 25. This happened in 1666, 1734, 1886
and 1943. In 1379, St. Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419), a Spanish Dominican monk
predicted the demise of the world in AD 3936. The Jehovah's Witnesses predicted
the "end of the world" in 1914, 1918 and 1974. Many more such
predictions we had seen. They were trying to base their predictions on
the invitation of Jesus to be watchful.
Death is the unquestionable reality in our life. But
no one can predict his death. Alexander Pope put this poetically:
"Heav'n from all creatures hides the book of Fate,
All but the page prescribed."
Death comes sometimes in a very unexpected
manner.
Atilla was the fearsome ruler of the Huns from 434
to 453 AD. He was public enemy to the Roman Empire. Twice he attacked the
Balkans; he marched his army through France; and his rulership spread from
Germany to the Ural River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. Many
today regard him as a monster, a cruel dictator who ruled through fear. His
death was really mysterious. He died on his wedding night from a simple nose
bleed.
Bruce Lee's son Brandon was on the set of the film The
Crow in which he was playing the lead role. One scene required Lee to be
shot by a prop-gun firing blanks. The gun had been used several times before in
filming but a cheaply made round of blanks had lodged part of the lead in the
barrel of the gun. It caused his death.
Jesus said: "But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it."
Hence he asks us to be prepared. None of us are guaranteed our
next breath. We should always appreciate and acknowledge our blessings. An
attitude of gratitude is a stepping-stone towards success. Our thoughts, our
words, and our actions must be building blocks to creating the life that
you want. But in reality, we do not dare to act. We wait for something. Dr. Seuss
put it humourously (Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and
cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen
names Dr. Seuss).
"Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to
fly a kite. Or waiting around for Friday night or waiting perhaps for their
Uncle Jake or a pot to boil or a better break or a string of pearls or a pair
of pants or a wig with curls or another chance." Everyone is just
waiting." We have heard many times the line, "Live
everyday as if it were your last" It is high time that we started doing
something meaningful in life. So let us find our passion. Passion isn't just a
hobby or a pastime. It's a kind of love that burns so deep it sets you alive.
Passion allows you to feel that everything is right in the world. There are
many people out there who follow their heart, no matter what. And it's brought
them to great heights. So find your passion, and make your life meaningful.
When you want to pass some form of positivity and happiness to others, the
results can be amazing.
Even though we are all aware
of the imminence of death, we still have the power to dream. We can look to the
future for a day when we will achieve unrivaled greatness. Every day, we should
bring us closer and closer to our goal, every day we must bring us closer and
closer to greatness. With this mindset and decree, live the lives to the
fullest. Enjoy every minute of the day. Do things that can make us happy. And
always DO good things to others for we never know how long we will stay. Life
is just borrowed, so we must live accordingly.
Satish