Reflection by Rev. Leonard N. Peterson
One contemporary mode of thinking about the two parts of today’s Gospel passage is to call to mind both a “Jumbotron” and a cell phone. For those who need a definition, a “Jumbotron” is a very large monitor screen measured in feet, and often seen in sports stadiums or any large outdoor event with crowds of people in attendance. There happen to be several of them mounted in place in St. Peter’s square at the Vatican.
I want to classify those happenings at the end of the world that Jesus describes today as a “Jumbotron event.” Of course, when it will happen is known only by Jesus. He doesn’t tell us. It could be 10,000 years from now or 10 days. The main point Our Lord makes clear is that history is always on the move, and never stagnant. It’s heading toward some goal. That goal is Jesus Himself as King of the universe.
Now I ask your indulgence as I classify the happenings in our little lives as “cell phone events.” Despite our often-inflated sense of ourselves, we are actually just a tiny part of the created world. We too are on the move, heading toward the same goal as the universe: union with Jesus as our King. The date that ends our earthly lives is also one of God’s best kept secrets. We can only wonder when. All things being equal, I am a lot closer to it at 80 than I was at 18. But only our loving Creator knows for sure.
As a result of these dual mysteries, there is only one healthy conclusion that Jesus urges on both first disciples and on us: “Be prepared!” It seems to me that the biggest mistake most people make is to be unprepared. They try to avoid even thinking about their potential end.
I remember a chapter in a book of meditations for seminarians in which we were to imagine our funeral! This for guys just entering their twenties! The point was not to be macabre but mindful. In a dark chapel in the pre-dawn of a Winter morning, however, it was “heavy duty” stuff.
In her wisdom, Mother Church has presented the facts in the Scriptures of last week and today, to make sure we know that our death is not a matter of fiction. This is definitely not to scare us. Nor to belittle us. But to wake us up. Only a “drowsy” Christianity would invest all its hope in the things of this passing world. We are made for more. Much more.
If thoughts like these make you fearful, try to acquire the perspective of God’s love for you. His love truly drives out fear. What proof do we have of Love’s existence? It is the Holy Eucharist. That’s really why we come together for it each Sunday and holy day. It is for sure to give God thanks for gifting us with Faith, Hope and Love. But it also is to renew a positive attitude toward life. It is to remind ourselves of the outlook that Holy Scripture provides for us about our destiny. What we receive for sure is a clear picture of God’s love for us, giant size or small, depending on our need. How wise then it is to “Prepare and prevent instead of repair and repent.”
God love you and give you His peace.
Rev. Peterson’s Reading & Gospel Summary
Reading I: Jeremiah 33: 14-16
The oracles of the prophet that are presented concern the future new king who will rule Israel and produce a “just shoot,” namely Jesus.
Reading II: I Thessalonians 3:12-4:2
Paul offers a petition to Christ for His love to be bestowed on the community. He also urges the community to maintain good conduct.
The Gospel: Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36
The cosmic disasters at the end of time will echo the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus uses these facts to urge a sense of readiness in His disciples.