At about this
time, every year, our readings drastically change, so that they go from being
focused on the life of Jesus to that time when He will come again. They do so
to point to the end of the liturgical season, which brings forth Advent, a time
of preparation for the coming of our Savior as a little child.
And, in an effort to underscore this preparation, the readings become more apocalyptic and, in some cases, almost fearful, speaking as they do of earth engulfed in flames, “blazing like an oven,” as it says in our first reading, or wars, insurrection, earthquakes, famines, plagues, topped off with awesome sights and mighty signs in the sky.
They point to a definitive end, an almost hopeless end, where nothing will remain, “when there will not be left (as Jesus says) a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” And, if we were to look at our world, at all the natural disasters throughout the world, all the violence, all the insurrections, and signs in the sky, we might be tempted to believe that the end is coming soon, that our world can end, even tonight.
Yet, that is not the point of these readings, for, as Christians, we are not to get caught up in the details, as it were, but instead, we are to look at this end, whenever it may be, as the culmination and ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan on earth. While that may sound strange to put it that way, by remembering the end, by recalling our own end, we are forced to look at life, in general, and our lives, particularly, in a much different way.
And, we come to see that, every day we make a choice whether to be consumed by fear, or, instead, to enjoy the moments that God has given us, to thank Him for what and whom we have now, rather than being focused on what is to come.
For, our readings are not meant to scare us but, rather, to prepare us, to help us to get ready, to use our time wisely and diligently, so that, in our lives, we work, we fight and we struggle in our relationship with God, so that we can live our call, our true call, to a life of holiness and share that life with others.
While there were many things in this life that motivated the saints, nothing motivated them more than the reality of the end, whether it was the end of the world, or the end of their lives, this is what kept them from sleep, this is what kept them in a constant state of prayer, this is what them saints.
Yet, their motivation wasn’t fed by fear, instead, it was fed by the reality that they wanted to be prepared, that they wanted to live the life that God asked them to live, that they wanted the privilege of fearlessly looking upon Him face to face.
That is why The End is meant and intended to be a time of hope and joy, not a time of loss and sadness, because it speaks and points to the very strength we have as Christians and the confidence that we have in God, knowing that on that day, like the saints, we will literally see Him face to face.
And, when that day comes, we will know why we are Christians, we will know why we are here and what it is that the Advent season, which will be upon us shortly, prepares us for, because we will have taken the end seriously, not by holding up a sign on the street corner or making a video for the internet, but by showing the true mark of preparedness, a life of holiness and a desire to live for God alone.
And, in an effort to underscore this preparation, the readings become more apocalyptic and, in some cases, almost fearful, speaking as they do of earth engulfed in flames, “blazing like an oven,” as it says in our first reading, or wars, insurrection, earthquakes, famines, plagues, topped off with awesome sights and mighty signs in the sky.
They point to a definitive end, an almost hopeless end, where nothing will remain, “when there will not be left (as Jesus says) a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” And, if we were to look at our world, at all the natural disasters throughout the world, all the violence, all the insurrections, and signs in the sky, we might be tempted to believe that the end is coming soon, that our world can end, even tonight.
Yet, that is not the point of these readings, for, as Christians, we are not to get caught up in the details, as it were, but instead, we are to look at this end, whenever it may be, as the culmination and ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan on earth. While that may sound strange to put it that way, by remembering the end, by recalling our own end, we are forced to look at life, in general, and our lives, particularly, in a much different way.
And, we come to see that, every day we make a choice whether to be consumed by fear, or, instead, to enjoy the moments that God has given us, to thank Him for what and whom we have now, rather than being focused on what is to come.
For, our readings are not meant to scare us but, rather, to prepare us, to help us to get ready, to use our time wisely and diligently, so that, in our lives, we work, we fight and we struggle in our relationship with God, so that we can live our call, our true call, to a life of holiness and share that life with others.
While there were many things in this life that motivated the saints, nothing motivated them more than the reality of the end, whether it was the end of the world, or the end of their lives, this is what kept them from sleep, this is what kept them in a constant state of prayer, this is what them saints.
Yet, their motivation wasn’t fed by fear, instead, it was fed by the reality that they wanted to be prepared, that they wanted to live the life that God asked them to live, that they wanted the privilege of fearlessly looking upon Him face to face.
That is why The End is meant and intended to be a time of hope and joy, not a time of loss and sadness, because it speaks and points to the very strength we have as Christians and the confidence that we have in God, knowing that on that day, like the saints, we will literally see Him face to face.
And, when that day comes, we will know why we are Christians, we will know why we are here and what it is that the Advent season, which will be upon us shortly, prepares us for, because we will have taken the end seriously, not by holding up a sign on the street corner or making a video for the internet, but by showing the true mark of preparedness, a life of holiness and a desire to live for God alone.
Add a comment