[Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 15; Hebrews 10:11-14,18; Mark 13:24-32]
Traditionally, at this time of year we remember our deceased relatives and friends; we have lists which we make and ask for those on the lists to be remembered during Mass. We should of course be praying for our deceased loved ones throughout the year. Our great hope is that by our prayers their souls can enter heaven, where they can pray for us. We should also remember to pray for the souls of those in purgatory who have no-one to pray for them; we never know if we will be amongst them in the future
The Scriptures we use today, remind us that at the end of our life, we will be judged. The first reading from the Book of Daniel is the first time in the Bible that the resurrection of the dead is proclaimed. This book, written around two hundred years before Christ was born, revealed that those who remained true to God ‘will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven’ and those who did not remain true would be subject to ‘shame and everlasting disgrace.’ There had been hints elsewhere in the Bible that our death was not the end, for example Job said, ‘I know that my redeemer lives, and that from my flesh I will look on God.’
In the second reading, we hear that the sacrifices made under the Old Law were partial, temporary and needed to be repeated. Christ’s offering was complete and could never be repeated. This offering is what grants ‘the eternal perfection of all whom he is sanctifying.’ If we want to be included amongst those being saved, then we must repent and change our ways. It is not enough just to turn up at Mass each week and think ‘I’ve done my bit’. To live our faith out properly, it takes more than just turning up. We need to put our faith into action. We need to listen to God’s Word and live out our faith every day. This means that just turning up on a Sunday for an hour can never be enough.
In the Gospel, Jesus paints a picture of what the end of the world will be like; it sounds terrifying. In a reversal of the Genesis story, the two great lights; the sun and the moon; will be extinguished and replaced by the light shining through the Glory of Christ. The angels will gather the chosen ones from heaven and earth, and they will bask in His Glory. Jesus is telling us to get ready, and to remain ready because even He does not know when this will happen, only the Father knows.
If we look at the news, we can see terrible incidents both man-made and natural, and perhaps some where man’s interference has exacerbated what we believe to be natural occurrences. We think of those in Spain over the past few weeks, who have endured severe flooding with horrendous loss of lives. We think of those in war torn areas, like Gaza, Ukraine and Cameroon. We think of the hundreds of thousands of people who are fleeing from their homelands searching for a safe, or in some cases a more prosperous place to live. For all of the people involved, these are times of distress; the world they knew is no more.
When we think of these people who have lost their homes and livelihoods and have had to flee at short notice only grabbing what they can of their possessions or leaving in the clothes they stand in, I wonder if this was me and I had time to pack something to take with me, what would I take? Things like my wallet, my keys, my glasses. But what else would I consider taking? I can access my daily prayers and readings on my phone, but that would only be until the battery runs out; so I would need my charger or maybe better still my prayer book.
Today, Jesus is telling us to be prepared, its not just the practicalities of what to take with us in an emergency. He is urging us to be prepared to answer for what we have done or failed to do during our time on earth. If we think about that and had to deliver our answer face to face with Jesus today, how confident would we be of entering God’s kingdom? When we consider our response and realise tomorrow morning that we have been given another day, what will we do differently? This could be the difference between glorious light or eternal darkness.
As Catholics we have fantastic resources at our disposal, these are meant to guide us towards the light of our eternal home. We have Sacred scriptures; we have the Catechism and the teachings of the Church and the Sacraments to fill us with the graces and inspiration to live out our faith. Getting to know Christ, following His words and putting our faith into action, especially through acts of mercy will help us build our case when we are judged. After all, if we expect to receive God’s mercy, surely, we should be merciful people in the first place. With this in mind, here are some reminders for us all:
The seven Corporal works of mercy are –
- Feed the hungry
- Give drink to the thirsty
- Clothe the naked
- Shelter the homeless
- Visit the sick
- Visit the imprisoned
- Bury the dead[1]
The seven Spiritual works of mercy are –
- Admonish the sinner
- Instruct the ignorant
- Counsel the doubtful
- Comfort the sorrowful
- Bear wrongs patiently
- Forgive all injuries
- Pray for the living and the dead[2]
All of these come from the teachings of Jesus, and we are called to do these, if Jesus asks us when we are face to face with Him, how many of these are we able to claim we did out of love for God or our neighbour, what would our answer be? If we don’t like our answer, what do we need to do differently?
Further Reading
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
CCC 1038-1050: the Last Judgment; hope of a new heaven and a new earth
CCC 613-614, 1365-1367: Christ’s one perfect sacrifice and the Eucharist
The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy: Charity in Practice
catholicexchange.com/7-ways-to-practice-the-spiritual-works-of-mercy/
Please keep in your prayers this week
- The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
- Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
- The fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
- People affected by natural disasters, terrorism or warfare.
- Josiah, Jasmine, Anayah, Tadgh, Saoirse who will be baptised at St Bede’s this weekend.
Deacon Tony
16th November 2024
[1] The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy: Charity in Practice
[2] catholicexchange.com/7-ways-to-practice-the-spiritual-works-of-mercy/