During this last, these last couple of weeks of the liturgical year, we think of the last days.
The scriptures invite us to ponder and to reflect upon what will come, the end of all things.
We'll take a look at that from the perspective of scripture today, and from our Lord's own perspective.
First of all, it is our sure faith, our certain belief, that the world will end someday.
For us, time is linear, a beginning and an end.
Some of the world religions think of time internally.
In terms of being cyclical, for the follower of Jesus, the follower of he who is the beginning and the end,
the first and the last, the alpha and the omega, time is going someplace.
It is headed towards its fulfillment in him.
There will be someday an end of the world.
Second, from history.
From history, we know that all great civilizations come to an end.
Persia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, these are the ones that have definitively ended.
Other great civilizations and empires are only a shell today.
They're figurehead monarchs.
They've been enthroned as nostalgic reminders of past glory.
Travel the world, study history, and you will discover monuments left in ruin,
powerful political dynasties severed, languages forgotten, beautiful works of art lost to the ages.
What is to become of our civilization?
What is to become of life as we know it?
Perhaps it will last for centuries more.
Perhaps its time is much more limited than that.
We do not know.
In fact, our Lord teaches us that we know neither the day nor the hour.
Our Lord teaches us that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night at a time when we least expect it.
And so our Lord teaches us that knowing that, knowing that we know neither the day nor the hour,
it means that we must be prepared.
We cannot put off doing the important things for some more convenient time in life.
But we must be attentive to do today what needs to be done.
To pay attention to getting things right with the Lord today.
For he gives us today, but he does not promise us tomorrow.
Even though we know neither the day nor the hour,
our Lord teaches us that there will be signs.
There will be signs in the weather patterns.
Signs such as earthquakes, terrible storms, hurricanes, typhoons, wars and rumors of war.
There will be signs and there will be persecution.
Our Lord promises us this.
It is a promise.
A promise that has been kept in every century.
In fact, in our most recent century, the 20th century,
there were more martyrs for our faith in that century than in the other 19 combined.
And in our present century, the 21st century,
things are shaping up,
much as they did in the last.
We can expect persecution.
Keep your eye on the storm brewing with the Health and Human Services mandate.
It's something that is, if left unchecked,
going to bring about a very unfair situation against Catholic institutions.
And that will lead to unfairness and persecution of Catholic people.
We used to live in a world in which the culture was supportive of faith.
That is no longer the case.
Culture no longer supports the faith.
Culture tolerates faith.
Fairly.
Soon it will grow to intolerance.
And intolerance begets persecution.
The signs are there to see.
This is what our Lord tells us.
This is what our Lord teaches.
There will be persecution.
But,
our Lord does not leave us without hope.
When teaching about the end times,
the days that are coming,
our Lord teaches us to have hope.
Be not afraid, Jesus says.
Be not afraid of those who can harm the body,
but have no power over the soul.
Be not afraid.
Even though Christians are not insulated from the troubles of life,
even though we experience them like everyone else,
we do not experience them alone.
He is with us.
He is there guiding us and helping us along the way.
Be not afraid, Jesus says.
Have hope even amidst the difficulties.
During these last days of the liturgical year,
let us be mindful of the last things.
Perhaps none of us will experience the end of the age,
but surely each one of us will experience the end of his or her life.
Let's be ready.
Let's prepare ourselves today.
Let's keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
Let's let him into our lives.
Let's allow him to influence us and guide us.
Let us turn to him frequently in the sacraments
where we find him,
his healing presence through the sacrament of penance and reconciliation,
his nourishing presence through the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
Let us turn to him and allow him more and more into our lives
so that we will trust him.
Truly, be prepared when the end comes.