Being prepared.....

Being prepared.....

First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our First Reconciliation Children and their families. We witnessed their commitment ceremony today. We, the faith community, along with their families and teachers, have asked to commit to praying for them and supporting them in their preparation for their First Reconciliation.

Do you think the end of the world is near? We hear people talk about this subject over and over again. Whenever something unexpected happens, we tend to believe that it is the end. Do you remember the movie "2012?" The premise was that the world was going to come to an end in 2012. As Hollywood hoped, a significant number of people believed that there might be some truth to it. How many of us stopped for a moment and questioned or worried? Every century, there were predictions of the end of time.

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, the readings invite us to reflect on the end time, death, and final judgment. The first reading from the book of Malachi (3:19-20) warns the Jews that the day of the Lord is coming. The prophet Malachi lived 470 years before Christ. The Jews had just returned from the Babylonian exile, and they were tempted to return to their former lives. Many Jews were not keeping the Commandments and doing their religious duties. He warned them that the day of the Lord is coming, to burn up the evildoers like chaff, but a sun of justice will arise for those who fear his name.

In the Gospel, Luke (21:5-19) narrates the eschatological discourse. Jesus portrays for us, graphically, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. They asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen?” For Jews, the destruction of these two things was equivalent to the end of the world. There were three reasons behind this, because for them, the Temple was 1) the dwelling place of God. In 1 Kings 8, we see the dedication of the Temple, and the Lord came from heaven to dwell in it. 2) It was the sole place of sacrifice. Deuteronomy 12 states that the center of worship is the Jerusalem Temple. 3) Jerusalem and the Temple were symbols of heaven and earth (Isaiah 65:17 & 18). So they believed that the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple is the destruction of the universe, the destruction of heaven and earth.

The Temple was the joy of the People of Israel. Its stones were decorated with jewels. The disciples marveled at it. Jesus said it would be torn down, as it was in the year 70 AD. A section of the Temple still stands. It’s called the Wailing Wall. Jewish people still go there and mourn the fate of the people, and the fate of all who are persecuted.

When Jesus talked about the destruction of the Temple, the disciples asked the big question, “When?” We may all like to hear the time. Jesus didn’t give a time. All he will tell us is that there are signs of the end.   Jesus' point is that his faithful followers should not be concerned about when the end is; they should only be worried about living in the present.

God works through many events and signs to purify and renew us in hope, and to help us set our hearts more firmly on Him and Him alone. The reading wants us to reflect on preparedness. Despite of the signs, no one knows the precise moment of the end. We must live in the presence of the Lord, so we will be ready always. Next Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, which is the last Sunday of the liturgical year. The end brings a new beginning.

The World Day of the Poor: In 2016. Pope Francis designated the Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time as the World Day of the Poor. In his Apostolic Letter, Misericordia et Misera, he wrote, “It will be a day that helps communities and each baptized person to reflect on how poverty is the heart of the Gospel and on the fact that, as far as Lazarus lies at the door of our homes (Cf. Lk 16:19-21), there can be no justice or social peace. This day will represent a genuine form of new evangelization in her perennial activity of pastoral conversion and witness to mercy” (21). Pope Leo XIV published this year's theme, which is “You are my hope” (Cf. Ps 71:5). These words of the Psalm remain timely. They express a profound truth that faith impresses above all on the hearts of the poor, restoring lost hope in the face of injustice, suffering, and the uncertainties of life. The Eucharistic table is the perfect example of Jesus’ self-giving – He feeds the hungry.

In our cluster, there is a tradition of donating nonperishable food items to the food pantry, especially around Thanksgiving. It will be a great opportunity as we celebrate World Day of the Poor.