Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 158

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

 I begin to write these reflections for this 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, a week ahead of the decisions of Tuesday, November 5. But I don't suppose the sun has darkened appreciably between my writing and your reading; or that the moon no longer shines in the night sky. (We're now two days past the full moon, known as the Beaver Moon.) Other moons with their planets, innumerable stars, and uncountable constellations: all seem unmoved and unchanged since November 5. The end is not yet. 

But we live with the decisions of that day, as we must live with every decision we've ever made. The past cannot be undone, but neither can the future be determined. We can plan, as we must; we can expect naturally; but no one knows what will happen tomorrow. 

Despite the confident assertions of communists, eugenicists, and other ideologues, the future is not ineluctable. No one, neither liberal or conservative, racist or feminist knows what must, or even should, happen. As Jesus says in today's gospel, 

"...of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

In other words, there is nothing automatic or even systematic about human life that a savant might understand and say, "This is what comes next." The future is written in a sealed scroll and no one has read it. There may be clues in heaven or earth, under the earth or the sea but no one knows. Not the Mother of Jesus, or the Lord's disciples, or John the Baptist had he lived that long, could have said, "I always knew he would rise from the dead;" much less, "I told you so." On that exhausted Sabbath morning, there was no way anyone could expect any more of Jesus. He was dead and buried. 

It was only afterward that Jesus himself would show his disciples that "it was necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory." (Luke 24:26) 

There was a plan but it was known only to God; no scientist, philosopher, or theologian, no optimist, pessimist, or ideologue could have predicted it. The truth is revealed to those whom God loves and when God chooses, as Saint Paul said, "...the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past, but now... manifested to his holy ones" (Col 1:26)

After the Lord opened their minds to understand the scriptures, he said to them, 

“Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."

This knowledge of the Lord’s resurrection and our destiny as the Redeemed People of God has been revealed to us, but it is not a set of idle, dispassionate facts. Martyrs do not put their life on the line for a set of facts.

Rather, the Gospel is a commission to witness these things to the whole world. There's little point in your opinion that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross, and rose from the dead if your lifestyle, your attitudes, habits, and preferences, your relationships, your use of money, time, and talent don't bear witness to what God has shown you. The Lord did not die to tell us something about life after death. 

He died to save the world and he sent us from Jerusalem to the United States to invite everyone to personally know him through repentance for our sins, through baptism in the water that flowed from his side, through eating his flesh and drinking his blood. 

In these troubled days after last week’s election, we will find comfort and reassurance in our faith, and by sharing it with others. We cannot afford to hide it. Our friends, family, and neighbors, our political allies and opponents must hear the Good News of salvation. They must know that we were created for communion and not for conflict. Our naked bodies are not provided with protective turtle shells or rhinoceros armor; our hands are not deadly weapons; our feet are not taloned or clawed. We are formed in the image of a vulnerable God to care for one another and trust one another. We have two ears for listening and only one mouth for speaking one truth. We cannot risk believing nonsense. 

Regardless of who is president or which party controls the Congress, we can afford gentleness and reverence; we cannot afford conflict or violence. As Saint Peter said, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence.” 

Jesus has assured us, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” As we carry that message from Jerusalem to the world, we walk with all the confidence of Saint Peter who kept his eyes on Jesus and walked on water.