Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks of the coming destruction of the temple (this actually occurred in 70 AD). People’s curiosity is aroused, and they ask him for the signs that will show that this is about to happen. The signs that Jesus lists are interesting: nations rising against nations, wars; plagues, earthquakes, famines, and so on. Also, there will be signs and portents in the heavens. Actually, the signs that he gives sound very much like the daily headlines, if you are following the news.

If you look around today, and even back throughout the last two thousand years, since the time of Christ, there has always been much interest in the end times, and whether these end times are upon us. Over the last 50 years or so, many people have made a lot of money writing books predicting that we are living in the end times and that the end of the world would be soon. This has become enough of an issue that, when I was serving parishes in Jamaica, I would periodically have parishioners approach me, often very upset, and ask me about these predictions.

This happened often enough, that I found it helpful to preach on this stuff, especially at this time of year when we have these gospel passages. I would begin by telling them that the end times actually began with the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, and corresponds with the call of the Church to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples. Just look at all the signs that Jesus gives, they have been constantly happening since then. However, as Mt 24:36, nobody knows the actual day or the hour, but only the Father. So, the first thing is that if anyone thinks they have it figured out, they are certainly wrong. Also, I tell them, that we as Christians (if we are keeping ourselves ready with a good Christian life), should not fear this day, because it is the day that Christ definitively establishes His Kingdom, and it is the day that we will share in his triumph.

Reflection by Fr. Aquinas Keusenkothen, OSB