B Cycle – 33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 24

Mk.13:24-32

As we daily live our lives, we rarely think of earth’s final days or of a spiritual battle that began long before any of us existed.  Evil has opposed God since the beginning of creatin and its beginnings were when Lucifer and his legions were cast from heaven by Michael and his forces.  The Book of Revelations in chapter 16 speaks of seven bowls of wrath and Armageddon where this ultimate battle between God and evil will fight in an ultimate battle.  

Make no doubt about it, this battle will be to restore the earth to its intended glory, and it will happen.  The Catholic Catechism confirms this teaching by telling us Jesus will come in glory. However, before He comes again there will be a last battle between the forces of evil and God’s army (CC-675).  Still, we dismiss it from our minds because the earth has existed for thousands of years.  We do not think it is coming in our lifetime thus we dismiss it from our minds.

We know from biblical history this age we live in is no different than the age of Noah. People ignored all warnings and went about their daily lives.  We know God destroyed all living creatures except those in the Ark with Noah.  It was then that God made a covenant vowing to never again destroy the earth with a flood.  Yet, evil was not eradicated and that battle between good and evil continues.  Evils still seeks to destroy your relationship with God. It is cunning and deceptive, and it is easy for us to believe all is well between us and God. 

We forget how fragile our lives are and how many times God reminds us to be vigilant for we do not know the day or the hour.  God tells us this last battle is not only coming but will catch us by surprise because we have not given our hearts to God.  God has done all the preparatory work for us to be numbered among those in His Book. He sent us Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, and He has sent us the Holy Spirit so we can live the life of a disciple.   

We have been given all we need to be among those whose names are written in God’s book, but have we appropriated the grace of forgiveness.  We must respond to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  We need to use that grace and begin to develop a love relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

It is no wonder that the Hallmark channel is successful because we get caught up in a love story that overcomes all obstacles.  We need to overcome the lie of Satan telling us we are unworthy of God’s love and mercy.  That lie is the greatest weapon used by Satan to keep us from allowing God’s grace to touch our hearts.

So, what is our response to today’s gospel?  It is a gospel which cannot be ignored. We are given a life or death choice by God.  If your doctor tells you to do something or you will die, you will quickly and perhaps with some difficulty do what your doctor advises.  The simple fact is God is giving us a wakeup call and is telling us we have two options.  One option is to respond to the reality that death is inevitable and strive to build a deeper relationship with God.  Or keep believing you are doing enough right now and hoping it is enough. 

Wouldn’t it be better to know rather than hope?  To be like Paul who said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race” (2Tim.4:7). What was his measuring stick?  He risked everything to respond to the call of Jesus Christ.  What are we risking today?  Do you know that Christianity is under attack.  Across this nation Christians are being mocked, attacked, sued, and yes jailed.  We have been silenced by them and do not have the resources to fight back.  We have allowed forces to shut down our ability to give a visible witness to our faith; to be bold witnesses of Christ’s sacrifice.  It is not visible force here is our church as we worship but it is evident in the world we live in.

Do we dare to speak with others freely and openly about matters of faith? Or is faith a no go subject?  For years we have accepted our local governments to have no visible display of faith on public lands.  We no longer see Nativity Scenes on the lawn of any government building.  Merry Christmas has become Happy Holidays.  Airlines have for decades banned visible signs of Christianity to be worn by their flight attendants.  Lawsuits have been filed against teachers and coaches praying with their students. Crosses have been removed from public lands and the ten commandments from court houses.  Those who disobey those norms have lost their jobs. 

Brothers and sisters, this is a wake up call and it is time for us to be more visible and more active in professing our faith everywhere we go.  It is time to stand up and be as bold as Joshua and say, “as for me and my household we will follow the Lord.”