Monday, November 16, 2015

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B

MARK 13:1-8
WE HAVE REACHED THE LAST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. IT SEEMS TO BE ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD. IT TALKS ABOUT THE GREAT TRIBULATION, WHERE THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE FORTH ITS LIGHT, THE STARS WILL FALL, AND THE SON OF MAN WILL COME. AND HE WILL SEND OUT HIS ANGELS TO GATHER THE ELECT FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH TO THE ENDS OF THE SKY.
WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE OF THIS? WE CAN TAKE IT AS A WARNING, I GUESS, THAT LIFE IS PRECIOUS, THAT WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, THAT WE BETTER MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE AMONG THOSE ELECT.
BUT JESUS GOES ON TO SAY THAT ALL OF THIS WILL HAPPEN BEFORE THIS GENERATION PASSES AWAY. ON FIRST GLANCE, THAT WOULD SEEM TO MAKE JESUS A VERY POOR PROPHET. THERE AREN'T ANY OF THAT GENERATION LEFT, AND GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS HAVE COME AND GONE, AND STILL THE GREAT TRIBULATION HASN'T HAPPENED.. THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT PEOPLE HAVEN'T THOUGHT IT WAS HAPPENING; DURING THE FIRST GENERATION OF CHRISTIANS YOU COULD BE EXCUSED FOR THINKING THAT IT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN; THE CHURCH WAS BEING PERSECUTED TO DEATH. AND A COUPLE OF HUNDRED YEARS LATER, THE PEACE OF THE EMPIRE WAS BEING SHATTERED BY BARBARIANS. AND THEN ISLAM CONQUERED BYZANTIUM, THE EASTERN HALF OF CHRISTENDOM; AND THEN CAME THE BLACK PLAGUE – AND YOU GET MY DRIFT. BUT LOOKING BACKWARDS NONE OF THESE LIFE-SHATTERING EVENTS TURNED OUT TO BE THE GREAT TRIBULATION, AND THEIR GENERATIONS HAVE COME AND GONE.
MAYBE JESUS ISN'T TALKING ABOUT LITERAL GENERATIONS. MAYBE HE IS TALKING ABOUT THE GENERATION THAT PAYS ATTENTION TO THE THINGS OF THE WORLD, THAT LIVES IN RELATIVISM, THAT SEEKS ONLY TO PLEASE ITSELF. THE GENERATION THAT THINKS HUMAN LIFE IS DISPOSABLE OR TO BE USED. THE GENERATION THAT BELIEVES WAR CAN BRING ABOUT PEACE. THE GENERATION THAT LAUGHS AT GOD'S LAWS. THE GENERATION THAT BELIEVES THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS OBJECTIVE TRUTH. OUR GENERATION, THE GENERATION OF THE FIRST CHRISTIANS, AND EVERY GENERATION IN BETWEEN.
WE DON'T SEE THE HUMAN RACE GETTING BETTER WITH TIME. OH, WE'VE LEARNED TO CURE A LOT OF ILLNESSES; WE'VE MADE LIFE A LOT EASIER FOR SOME OF US. TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE HAVE REPLACED SLAVERY IN ALLOWING A FEW PEOPLE TO LIVE IN LUXURY BY EXPLOITING THE MANY. BUT WE ARE NOT A LOT DIFFERENT FROM THOSE WEALTHY PEOPLE IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE; WE TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT WE HAVE A RIGHT TO THREE SQUARE MEALS A DAY, A DECENT HOUSE, AN ANNUAL VACATION, FREEDOM FROM PAIN. WE FORGET THAT PEOPLE LIKE US MAKE UP ABOUT TEN PERCENT OF THE POPULATION OF THE WORLD – PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
WE ARE THE GENERATION JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT. JESUS INVITES US TO LEARN FROM THE FIG TREE. ANYONE CAN TELL WHEN SUMMER IS NOT FAR OFF; THE BRANCHES OF THE TREE BEGIN TO GREEN UP; FLOWER BUDS BEGIN TO FORM. THE TREE KNOWS WHAT IS HAPPENING, AND PREPARES. THE TIME OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION IS NOT A FAR DISTANT THING, BUT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. JESUS PROMISES THAT.
HOW WILL IT HAPPEN? I DON'T KNOW. I THINK JESUS IS TELLING EACH OF US THAT WE WILL EXPERIENCE IT.
I KNOW A LADY OVER AT THE NURSING HOME. SHE'S ABOUT NINETY. SHE CAN'T GET OUT OF BED ANYMORE, AND NEEDS TO BE FED. SHE SLEEPS MUCH OF THE TIME, BUT SHE'S LUCID WHEN SHE WAKES UP. SHE NEVER FAILS TO REMIND ME THAT SHE'S HAD A GREAT LIFE, AND THE PICTURES THAT SURROUND HER BED SAY THIS AS WELL. BUT SHE'S THE LAST OF HER FAMILY; HER HUSBAND HAS PASSED AWAY; HER CHILDREN ARE BUSY WITH THEIR OWN LIVES; AND FOR HER, THE SUN HAS DIMMED AND THE MOON HAS LOST IT'S LIGHT. SHE SPENT HER LIFE AS A FAITHFUL CATHOLIC; SHE'S RECEIVED THE SACRAMENT OF THE SICK MORE THAN ONCE; AND SHE HAS NO FEARS OF THE NEXT LIFE. BUT HER LIFE IS ONE OF TRIBULATION AT PRESENT.
WE ARE ALL PART OF THIS GENERATION; WE WILL ALL EXPERIENCE THE TRIBULATION; WE WON'T KNOW WHEN OR HOW; AS JESUS SAYS ONLY GOD KNOWS. BUT IF YOU WALK THROUGH A NURSING HOME, OR THE CORRIDORS OF A HOSPITAL, OR GO TO A WAKE, OR WATCH THE EVENING NEWS, YOU WILL SEE THE SIGNS, YOU WILL LEARN FROM THE FIG TREE.
JESUS PROMISES US THAT AT HIS COMING THE ELECT WILL BE GATHERED UP. I BELIEVE HE OFFERS EACH OF US A PLACE AMONG THE ELECT.
TODAY'S READINGS NOT ONLY GIVE US A WARNING, BUT A REMEDY AS WELL. IN THE PSALM, WHICH I INVITE YOU TO READ THOUGHTFULLY AND WITH PRAYER, WE ARE TOLD WHERE OUR ATTENTION SHOULD BE. “YOU ARE MY INHERITANCE, O LORD”, THE PSALMIST REMINDS HIMSELF. “YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO THE NETHERWORLD, NOR WILL YOU SUFFER YOUR FAITHFUL TO UNDERGO CORRUPTION. YOU WILL SHOW ME THE PATH OF LIFE.”
JESUS PROMISES TO SEND HIS ANGELS TO GATHER HIS ELECT. IF WE HAVE MADE JESUS THE CENTER OF OUR LIVES, IF WE DO SEE HIM AS OUR INHERITANCE, AS OUR TEACHER, AS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS ANYTHING WORTHWHILE TO OFFER, AND WE ACT ACCORDINGLY, THEN WE ARE HIS ELECT. IF WE PERSIST IN BEING PART OF THIS GENERATION, HE'S WARNED US OF THE CONSEQUENCES.
WHEN TRIBULATION COMES TO US, LET US PRAY THAT WE ARE AMONG THE ELECT, THAT JESUS IS OUR INHERITANCE, THAT WE NO LONGER BELONG TO THIS GENERATION.