Reflection for November 17, 2024

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Daniel 12:1-3 | Psalm 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11 | Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 | Mark 13:24-32

The readings for this Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time carry an undertone of the "end times." Indeed, we are approaching the conclusion of our year-long liturgical journey of faith. The 33 buttons down the front of your parish priest’s or bishop’s cassock symbolize the 33 years that Jesus Christ spent on Earth. Next week, we will celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, with its dedicated readings. As the Church year draws to a close, we are invited to reflect on the profound themes of the end times and the anticipated return of Christ in glory.

During China’s Boxer Rebellion in 1900, insurgents seized a mission station and blocked all exits except one, where they placed a cross on the ground. They spread the word to those inside that anyone willing to step on the cross could walk away free, but anyone who refused would be shot. Overcome with fear, the first seven students stepped on the cross and gained their freedom. However, the eighth student, Yǒnggǎn, couldn’t bring herself to commit what she saw as a sacrilegious act. She knelt by the cross, prayed for strength, then carefully stepped around it to face the firing squad. Inspired by her courage, the remaining ninety-two students followed her example and walked out to face their fate.

In today’s first reading, the author conveys a message of hope to a community ravaged by the atrocities of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid ruler of Hellenistic Syria. For the first time, the Scriptures present a clear promise of resurrection, offering comfort to God’s faithful in an era of indiscriminate slaughter by pagan oppressors. They are assured that the Archangel Michael, the divine protector of the Jewish people, will ultimately intervene, bringing an end to all evil and enacting God’s judgment, separating the righteous from the wicked. Those who remained steadfast in their faith and loyal to God's Law, despite immense pressure to renounce it, will shine like stars and inherit eternal life. In contrast, those who chose not to serve God will forfeit this privilege in the next life, condemned to "everlasting horror and disgrace." The vision continues with the coming of the Son of Man from heaven, descending with power and great glory, accompanied by angels who gather the elect and guide them to heaven. Although this passage from Daniel may at first seem somber and ominous, there lies an underlying hope— a hope rooted in the Resurrection. This assurance promises you and me that by staying faithful to the Lord, we shall not be destroyed.

Jesus and Satan got into a heated debate about who was better at using a computer. They argued back and forth for hours, until God, tired of the noise, finally stepped in. "Enough," he said. "I’ll set up a test. You’ll each have two hours to work, and I’ll decide who does better." So, Jesus and Satan sat down at their computers and got to work. They clicked, typed, and scrolled. They filled out spreadsheets, wrote reports, sent emails, downloaded files, created cards—you name it, they did it. But just seconds before the timer ran out, a sudden storm hit. Lightning flashed, thunder boomed, rain poured, and the power went out. Satan stared at his blank screen and cursed up a storm. Jesus, however, just sighed. When the power came back, God announced that the test was over. He asked Satan to show his work, but Satan, furious, exclaimed, "I have nothing! The power outage wiped it all!" "Alright then," said God, "let’s see what Jesus has." Jesus calmly started printing out everything he’d done in the past two hours. Satan was in disbelief. "How? I lost everything, but Jesus still has his files! How is that possible?" God chuckled, "Jesus saves."

The priest’s primary duty is to offer sacrifice. In the second reading, the author of Hebrews contrasts the sacrifices offered by the mortal and imperfect priests of the Jewish faith with the definitive sacrifice made by Christ, the eternal high priest. In Jewish tradition, each time an individual sinned, they were required to bring a bull, goat, or lamb to the Temple, where a priest would offer it as a sin sacrifice to secure forgiveness and reconciliation with God. These sacrifices had to be repeated continually because they could not truly cleanse or heal human sinfulness; rather, they served as a constant reminder of sin through their ongoing nature. In contrast, Christ’s sacrifice was unique and all-encompassing, obtaining forgiveness for sins once and for all, making further sacrifices unnecessary. Through Christ’s self-offering, perfect praise has been rendered to God, sin and guilt have been expiated, and an absolute, intimate union with God has been established. Jesus continues his priestly work in Heaven, interceding for us before God, the Father.

Franciscan missionaries in the Northern provinces Fr. Ver and Fr. Lloyd stood by Gumain bridge along SCTEX, holding a sign that said, “The End is Near! Turn around now before it’s too late!” Their plan was to show it to every car that passed. As the first driver zoomed by, he shouted, “Leave us alone, you religious nuts!” Moments later, they heard screeching tires and a loud splash from around the bend. One of them turned to the other and said, “Maybe we should’ve just put up a sign that says, ‘Bridge Out’ instead?”

Discussions and speculations about the end of the world frequently arise, especially surrounding natural events such as comets, eclipses, and meteor showers. Many individuals are eager to determine when the world might end. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks prophetically about His Second Coming, affirming that He will one day "come again in glory to judge the living and the dead," as we affirm in the Creed. Importantly, Jesus emphasized that no one can know the exact day or hour of His return. Although we are certain He will return, the timing remains unknown. Our task is not to speculate about the last days or proclaim, "Look, here it is!" or "There it is!" Instead, we are called to live each day as though the end could be imminent. We must always remember that we have (1) a God to serve, (2) a soul to save, (3) a neighbor to love, (4) sins to avoid, (5) hell to escape, and (6) heaven to attain. The end could come today, tomorrow, a year from now, or even a thousand years in the future. The question is, will you be ready?