Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (November 17, 2019)

As we approach the end of the Church year, the Scripture readings begin to call our attention to the end-times.

They remind us that Jesus came among us to inaugurate the kingdom of God. Through the sacrifice he offered on the cross, our sins have been forgiven and we have been reconciled with our Father. We have been given a share in Jesus’ new life and that makes us children of the kingdom of God who are journeying home to our Father’s house.

This Eucharist allows us to share in the one sacrifice of Jesus, to open ourselves once again to the grace of salvation, to reconcile ourselves more deeply with our Father and with one another, and to be nourished with the bread of life for our continuing journey home.

The word and sacrament we share here today can help us to keep our minds and hearts focused on Jesus and his words to us. That focus will enable us to avoid the agitation and anxiety many people around us experience as we hear talk of the end times. We hear many claims about special revelations concerning the end of the world. The apocalyptic message of the Scriptures has always raised these kinds of claims. They disturb many good people. Jesus tells us very clearly today:  “By patient endurance you will save your lives.”

How should we deal with these times? First, it’s a time to be thankful. God’s plan of salvation is moving closer to its completion, as it does each day. It’s also a time for us to rededicate ourselves to living out our faith commitment more fully each day: praying for deeper faith in God’s continuing love for us and reflecting that love in the way we live with each other.

There’s really no reason for us to be afraid or become anxious about endings. We believe that the grace of salvation given to us in baptism, strengthened in us by confirmation, and nourished in us by Eucharist is leading us home to be with our Father. While death is an ending to our earthly existence, we already possess the gift of eternal life by God’s grace. Our only real end is to be with our God forever.

So let us take heart and patiently resolve to live each day with faith. Let us love our God with our whole being and love one another as Jesus has loved us. Our patient endurance will lead us to salvation. In this way, our journey home will be a safe and sure one.