Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together

Saturday, 2 December 2023

THE FUTURE IS WHAT DRIVES US TO THE PAST AND LIVE THE PRESENT

20231203 THE FUTURE IS WHAT DRIVES US TO THE PAST AND LIVE THE PRESENT

03 December 2023, 1st Sunday of Advent

First reading

Isaiah 63:16-17,64:1,3-8 ©

O that you would tear the heavens open and come down

You, Lord, yourself are our Father,

‘Our Redeemer’ is your ancient name.

Why, Lord, leave us to stray from your ways

and harden our hearts against fearing you?

Return, for the sake of your servants,

the tribes of your inheritance.

Oh, that you would tear the heavens open and come down!

– at your Presence the mountains would melt.

No ear has heard,

no eye has seen

any god but you act like this

for those who trust him.

You guide those who act with integrity

and keep your ways in mind.

You were angry when we were sinners;

we had long been rebels against you.

We were all like men unclean,

all that integrity of ours like filthy clothing.

We have all withered like leaves

and our sins blew us away like the wind.

No one invoked your name

or roused himself to catch hold of you.

For you hid your face from us

and gave us up to the power of our sins.

And yet, Lord, you are our Father;

we the clay, you the potter,

we are all the work of your hand.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 79(80):2-3,15-16,18-19 ©

God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

O shepherd of Israel, hear us,

shine forth from your cherubim throne.

O Lord, rouse up your might,

O Lord, come to our help.

God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

God of hosts, turn again, we implore,

look down from heaven and see.

Visit this vine and protect it,

the vine your right hand has planted.

God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

May your hand be on the man you have chosen,

the man you have given your strength.

And we shall never forsake you again;

give us life that we may call upon your name.

God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

Second reading

1 Corinthians 1:3-9 ©

We are waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace.

I never stop thanking God for all the graces you have received through Jesus Christ. I thank him that you have been enriched in so many ways, especially in your teachers and preachers; the witness to Christ has indeed been strong among you so that you will not be without any of the gifts of the Spirit while you are waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed; and he will keep you steady and without blame until the last day, the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, because God by calling you has joined you to his Son, Jesus Christ; and God is faithful.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps84:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy

and give us your saving help.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 13:33-37 ©

If he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come. It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow, dawn; if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake!’

THE FUTURE IS WHAT DRIVES US TO THE PAST AND LIVE THE PRESENT

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISA 63:16-17; 64:1,3-8; 1 COR 1:3-9; MK 13:33-37]

There are three kinds of attitudes towards life. There are those who live in their past, always regretting what could have been. They cannot forgive the mistakes they had made. They cannot forgive those who have hurt them as well. They cannot let go. For others, living in the past means always thinking of the good old times, the beautiful Christmases they celebrated, the beautiful sacred liturgy they had. Then there are those who live in the future. They want to postpone life till the next world. They have a negative outlook on this world. They are forever in the valley of tears and in exile from their homeland. Their life consists of suffering, pain and sacrifices. Those who are suffering in poverty, in illness or in misery are just waiting to be delivered from this world. We can understand their hopelessness.

Then there are those who live in the present only. The tragedy is that the world lives only for today. They have no thought of tomorrow because this is the greatest deception of the Evil One, to make us believe that there is no tomorrow. There is only today. When we die, it will be the end of everything. So there is no future for ourselves. That being the case, let us enjoy as much as we can. Do whatever you can do. Forget about sacrifices and using your time to serve people. Just take care of yourself and your needs. You have only one life to live. So live fully by enjoying life on this earth. Regardless which category we belong to, life on this earth ultimately has no meaning and purpose. We are not living the fullness of life simply because our eyes are focused on one aspect of life.

What is life? What are we living for? These are fundamental questions that we need to ask before we can truly live. Otherwise, our life lacks a purpose. Without purpose, there is no orientation, direction and motivation. If people live aimless and meaningless lives, it is because they do not have a purpose in life that could drive them to give themselves completely. Because there is no higher purpose in life, many just live for themselves, for the passing pleasures of life, for achievements to fulfill their ego, for a love that cannot last. At the end of the day, the conclusion is that life is a vanity.

How, then, can we live our life fully? By living fully here and now, remembering our past with gratitude but with an expectant and certain hope in the glorious future ahead of us. We must live with one foot on our past and the other foot in the present, but with both eyes on the future. Indeed, Christian hope, which is the theme of the first Sunday of Advent, is ultimate hope in the future. St Paul reminds us that, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Cor 15:19) St Paul said, we are “waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” St John says, “we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 Jn 3:2) The season of Advent seeks to prepare us for the Second Coming of Christ by recalling the First Coming of Christ. Without the First Coming there is no question of the Second Coming. Our fullness of life however is in Christ when He comes again on the last day.

How do we prepare for His coming? We do not prepare for His coming by indulging in vain speculations on the coming of Christ. All such talks are a waste of time because we do not know the date of His return. So the best way to prepare for His Second Coming is to live the life of Christ here and now. This is our foretaste of the life that is to come. This is what the Lord is urging us. “Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come.” The Lord will come again any time when we least expect. His coming is not known through calculation but preparation. No one knows when He would be coming again. We only know that He is coming.

To stay awake means to live fully in this life by being responsible with the life we have. Those who live in sin are sleeping in their ignorance and squandering their life away. They are blind to what being truly alive means, other than keeping themselves physically alive. To live fully means that we must be responsible with the life that the Lord has given to us. We must live it well and expend it in laboring for the Lord. Whether we are married or single, a professional or ordinary worker, we must live responsibly. This is what the gospel says, “It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake.”

Secondly to stay awake means to live fully by using our gifts for service and love. We are given responsibilities in life according to our charisms, vocation and state of life. St Paul reminds us not to forget that we “have been enriched in so many ways, especially in your teachers and preachers” and we are not “without any of the gifts of the Spirit.” Indeed, in the Christian community, the gifts of the Spirit abound. (cf 1 Cor 12:4-7) All gifts must be used not for ourselves but for the greater good of the community. Only by using our gifts for service and love, can we make a difference in the lives of others. Knowing that we have given hope and life to someone gives us a joy that cannot be compared to the worldly joys of success and pleasures. This joy is a participation of God’s joy in giving and loving.

Thirdly, to be awake means to be a witness of Christ in our lives. St Paul affirmed the Christian community that their “witness to Christ has indeed been strong.” To be awake means that we are a Christ to anyone and everyone at any time. We can be a witness to Christ only when we allow Christ to live in us. When Christ is in us, then Christ has already come into our lives. Whenever we reach out to others, Christ comes into our lives through the poor. That was what we read in last week’s gospel about the final judgment. Indeed, Christ comes to us every day in our daily encounters with people. If only we open our eyes and love them. When we love, He comes at every hour and not just at the end of time. The motivation for evangelization is not simply to reach out to others but primarily it is for our own salvation. Unless we see the need to reach out, we will not see the need to grow in our faith and live a Christian life.

But we cannot live this life to the fullest unless we remember the past. We must learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of our forefathers. This is what the prophet Isaiah is saying. When we reflect on our woes and problems in life, it is because we have caused ourselves to suffer by our sins. “You were angry when we were sinners; we had long been rebels against you.” Sin blinds us to the deeper meaning of life. We end up living on the sensual level, which reduces us to an animal, not a human being who has a spirit and a soul. When we sin, the Lord abandons us to our sins. “For you hid your face from us and gave us up to the power of our sins.” The punishment for sin is to commit more sins until they overpower us and we lose our freedom to do what is truly good and life-giving.

But most of all, in returning to the past, we must recall the hope that Christ came to give humanity at His First Coming. This is why only from the 3^rd Week of Advent, does the Church bring us back to the immediate preparations for the First Christmas. There are many things and lessons in life we can learn from our past. The past has much to teach us, the wisdom gained, the lessons learnt, the examples set. If we celebrate the First Christmas, it is in order that we remember what God has done for us in Christ’s coming to earth, to share in our humanity, poverty and suffering. Through reflection on the life of Christ, especially His passion, death and resurrection, it gives us hope and encouragement for the future. Reflecting on the lives of holy men and women like Mary, the apostles and prophets like John the Baptist, help us to find focus in our life.

In the final analysis, to live or to die is not the choice of a Christian. Whether in life or death, we belong to the Lord. (Rom 14:8) Life is not between physical life and biological death. Life is a question of how well we live in Christ. If we live the life of Christ now, we are alive whilst still on this earth and fully alive when we finish our life on this earth. This explains why St Paul could not choose between staying on this earth and being with Christ. (cf Phil 2:20-26) So, for our sake only, St Paul chose to stay in this world so that he could continue to give us hope and lead us to Christ. In the same way, if we live, it must be for the same reason, that we might give life to others. We do not live for ourselves but for others. This is the real purpose and meaning of life. Living for God so that we can live fully for others.

On this First Sunday of Advent, the Church is appealing to us to see the destiny ahead of us and not be short-sighted by simply living for this world and for ourselves, or to keep on regretting about our past. So let us come back to God by seeking repentance. God is our Father and He will bring us back to Him. “Return, for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance.” He wants us to start our life anew as we begin the new liturgical calendar. “Lord, you are our Father; we the clay, you the potter, we are all the work of your hand.” He will intervene in our lives again if we ask Him for that grace. With the psalmist, we pray, “Lord of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.” St Paul assures us that God is faithful.

WAKING UP FROM OUR NIGHTMARES

20231201 WAKING UP FROM OUR NIGHTMARES

01 December 2023, Friday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Daniel 7:2-14 ©

'I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man'

I, Daniel, have been seeing visions in the night. I saw that the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea; four great beasts emerged from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings; and as I looked its wings were torn off, and it was lifted from the ground and set standing on its feet like a man; and it was given a human heart. The second beast I saw was different, like a bear, raised up on one of its sides, with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth. “Up!” came the command “Eat quantities of flesh!” After this I looked, and saw another beast, like a leopard, and with four bird’s wings on its flanks; it had four heads, and power was given to it. Next I saw another vision in the visions of the night: I saw a fourth beast, fearful, terrifying, very strong; it had great iron teeth, and it ate, crushed and trampled underfoot what remained. It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns.

While I was looking at these horns, I saw another horn sprouting among them, a little one; three of the original horns were pulled out by the roots to make way for it; and in this horn I saw eyes like human eyes, and a mouth that was full of boasts. As I watched:

Thrones were set in place

and one of great age took his seat.

His robe was white as snow,

the hair of his head as pure as wool.

His throne was a blaze of flames,

its wheels were a burning fire.

A stream of fire poured out,

issuing from his presence.

A thousand thousand waited on him,

ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

A court was held

and the books were opened.

The great things the horn was saying were still ringing in my ears, and as I watched, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and committed to the flames. The other beasts were deprived of their power, but received a lease of life for a season and a time.

I gazed into the visions of the night.

And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,

one like a son of man.

He came to the one of great age

and was led into his presence.

On him was conferred sovereignty,

glory and kingship,

and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.

His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty

which shall never pass away,

nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:75-81 ©

Mountains and hills! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Every thing that grows on the earth! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Springs of water! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Seas and rivers! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Sea beasts and everything that lives in water! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Birds of heaven! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Animals wild and tame! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Acclamation

Lk21:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stand erect, hold your heads high,

because your liberation is near at hand.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 21:29-33 ©

My words will never pass away

Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’

WAKING UP FROM OUR NIGHTMARES

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dn 7:2-14; Daniel 3:75-81; Lk 21:29-33]

The vision of Daniel in the first reading seems more like a nightmare than a vision, seeing the different animals that are half animal, half bird, with horns and yet like a human being, attacking the world in its ferocity and cruelty. Indeed, it must have been as Daniel described when he saw the fourth beast, “fearful, terrifying, very strong; it had great iron teeth, and it ate, crushed and trampled underfoot what remained. It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns.” His visions were more than just nightmares but prophecies of world history, the rise and fall of empires and the destruction of Jerusalem, humanity and even the entire creation.

We, too, are living with many nightmares in our daily life. There is so much division and disorder in the world today. Peace and progress in the world is so fragile. Countries are at odds with each other, each accusing the other of the lack of fair-play, distrust and hostile competition in trade, technology and arms. The world is divided on international issues, be it migration, globalization, free trade, ecology or climate warming. Among our peoples, we cannot agree on fundamental issues like marriage, family, abortion, euthanasia, transgender, free speech and art. So there are battles to be fought on all fronts. The most frightening thing is that because of individualism and relativism, no one can come to any form of agreement.

So we are all very tired, confused, disillusioned and disheartened at the state of the world. We feel like giving up because instead of the world becoming more peaceful, stable and technologically advanced, the development of the human person in terms of its moral, spiritual and affective life is degenerating. Rather than becoming more humane and more global-minded, seeing ourselves as one big human family, all we care about is our aspirations, our desires, our happiness and our comfort and security. Others do not factor in our aspiration to happiness but as tools that we can use and discard when we do not need them. In a world that is so selfish and self-centered, humanity is on the verge of destroying not just itself but the entire creation.

Indeed, this is because we do not see the signs. We are not attentive to what is happening in the world today and in ourselves. We are not seeing far because we are too engrossed on the here and now without giving a thought to the long term implications and repercussions of our decisions, policies and the values we are promoting in society. This is what the Lord has been warning us. The signs have been given. Jesus said, “Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near.” We are all good at reading the weather, the political developments of the country, the economic trends and financial investments, but we are not alert to the changing moral trends, the culture and spiritual life of our people.

Alas, it is also equally true for those of us who feel discouraged at the sad and bewildering state of the world. If we have lost hope and confidence in doing what we can to restore the world from sin to grace, then we also have overlooked the signs of the time. When the Lord spoke of the fig tree budding, we are reminded of the coming of the Messiah. The Jews believed that the Messiah would come after the Passover. This is in spring. Jesus for us is the budding of the Kingdom of God. But many of us are still not able to have confidence in Christ’s power over the sinful world on account of His passion, death and resurrection. The Lord said to the scribes and Pharisees who asked him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.’ But he answered them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Mt 12:38f)

In the first reading, in spite of the incalculable devastation that would be brought upon humanity and creation, Daniel’s vision assures us that God is in control. He saw God on His throne making judgments on the world. We read that “the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and committed to the flames. The other beasts were deprived of their power, but received a lease of life for a season and a time.” And finally, Jesus, the Son of God who is also the Son of Man, assuming sovereignty over all of creation, “coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man. He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence. On him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship… which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.”

In other words, the scripture readings want to assure us that God is in absolute control over creation. He will ultimately bring all His enemies under His footstool. It will be Jesus, the Son of Man who will hand over “the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For ‘God has put all things in subjection under his feet.’ But when it says, ‘All things are put in subjection’, it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor 15:24-28)

In the meantime, we must continue to fight the battle against the Evil One and the spread of Satan’s Kingdom. We must fight against moral relativism, a self-centered form of individualism seen in marriage, the culture of death, consumerism; absolute free speech at the expense of innocent people and distortion of truth; exclusivity and protectionism, and the failure to see that we are all brothers and sisters who have a share in the resources of this planet and that wealth does not belong only to some people or to a special group of people. The Church seeks to build the kingdom of God based on the gospel of love, mercy and compassion; that we are all children of God, called to share in His life and love, now and hereafter. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the One who teaches us how to live our life in such a way that it is reflective of God’s Spirit living in us.

That is why, amidst the changing world, trends, values, cultures, all that relativism and pragmatism embrace, the Church offers us a gospel that is eternal and everlasting. In the gospel, Jesus in no uncertain terms said, “I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” So we must tell the world that the truth remains the truth. All can change and pass away but the Word of God, the truth that Christ has revealed to us is eternal. There is no relativism in the message of our Lord. St Peter says, “You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever.'” (1 Pt 1:23-25) That is why when we are faced with so many opinions and positions on what is right or wrong, we do not refer to the world for a final opinion. We must turn to the gospel because “all scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16)

Most of all, we know that our life is not simply on this earth. This world is passing. St John exhorts us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world – the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches – comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.” (1 Jn 2:15-17) Indeed, let us not forget that “our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil 3:20)

LOSING OUR HOPE IN THE SECOND COMING

20231202 LOSING OUR HOPE IN THE SECOND COMING

2 December 2023, Saturday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Daniel 7:15-27 ©

His sovereignty will be an eternal sovereignty

I, Daniel, was deeply disturbed and the visions that passed through my head alarmed me. So I approached one of those who were standing by and asked him to tell me the truth about all this. And in reply he revealed to me what these things meant. “These four great beasts are four kings who will rise from the earth. Those who are granted sovereignty are the saints of the Most High, and the kingdom will be theirs for ever, for ever and ever.” Then I asked to know the truth about the fourth beast, different from all the rest, very terrifying, with iron teeth and bronze claws, eating, crushing and trampling underfoot what remained; and the truth about the ten horns on its head – and why the other horn sprouted and the three original horns fell, and why this horn had eyes and a mouth that was full of boasts, and why it made a greater show than the other horns. This was the horn I had watched making war on the saints and proving the stronger, until the coming of the one of great age who gave judgement in favour of the saints of the Most High, when the time came for the saints to take over the kingdom. This is what he said:

‘The fourth beast

is to be a fourth kingdom on earth,

different from all other kingdoms.

It will devour the whole earth,

trample it underfoot and crush it.

As for the ten horns: from this kingdom

will rise ten kings, and another after them;

this one will be different from the previous ones

and will bring down three kings;

he is going to speak words against the Most High,

and harass the saints of the Most High.

He will consider changing seasons and the Law,

and the saints will be put into his power

for a time, two times, and half a time.

But a court will be held and his power will be stripped from him,

consumed, and utterly destroyed.

And sovereignty and kingship,

and the splendours of all the kingdoms under heaven

will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.

His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty

and every empire will serve and obey him.’

Responsorial Psalm

Sons of men! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Israel! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Priests! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Servants of the Lord! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Spirits and souls of the virtuous! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Devout and humble-hearted men! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Acclamation

Mt24:42,44

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake and stand ready,

because you do not know the hour

when the Son of Man is coming.

Alleluia!

Or:

Lk21:36

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake, praying at all times

for the strength to stand with confidence

before the Son of Man.

Alleluia!

Gospel

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

LOSING OUR HOPE IN THE SECOND COMING

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dn 7:15-27; Daniel 3:82-87; Lk 21:34-36]

Today, is the last day of the liturgical year. Last Sunday, we celebrated the feast of Christ the King, anticipating Christ’s universal rule of humanity at the end of time. Until then, the Church continues to prepare herself and the world for the Second Coming. However, not many people today think much about the Second Coming of Christ or the end of the world. People in the modern world are just concerned about living as fully as they can, which means, enjoying the resources of the world before they die. After death, that is another question. What will happen to them, where would they go? This question remains unimportant to the modern world. What are the reasons for the change in perspective towards the Second Coming of Christ?

Before the 20^th century, most people were conscious of the Second Coming of Christ or the end of the world, and lived with this in view. Indeed, the scripture readings reveal to us how people in the ancient world had very vivid views of the end of the world. In the first reading, Daniel had a vision of the changing history, the rise and fall of world empires and civilizations. There would be wars, evil, suffering and disasters. But Daniel said, no matter how evil the world becomes, God’s sovereignty would not be undermined. “But a court will be held and his power will be stripped from him, consumed, and utterly destroyed. And sovereignty and kingship, and the splendours of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty and every empire will serve and obey him.” So too, the Lord has been warning His people of the trials ahead of them. There would be wars, natural catastrophes, persecutions, destruction. “People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Lk 21:26-28)

When we place ourselves in the situation of the people living in those days, we can appreciate why there was a keen expectation and also speculation of the Second Coming of Christ or the end of the world. There was so much evil and injustices in society, the rich and powerful were controlling the people and making use of them for their selfish benefits. The ordinary people were generally poor and taken advantage of. There was a great divide between the rich and powerful and the common people. Many were living in poverty, and even if not poverty, life was not as luxurious or comfortable as it is today. Then there were many natural disasters such as drought, floods and pests that destroyed their crops resulting in famine. Medicine was rather undeveloped and primitive. Many who felt ill died early because of the lack of effective treatment. And worse still, if they suffered from deadly diseases or infections like leprosy, it meant the beginning of a slow, painful and lonely death. Then there were those who suffered from disabilities, like blindness, deafness and paralysis. There was no real cure for these illnesses. So it was common for people to die young. In fact, if we read about the lives of the saints, many of them died in their 40’s or 50’s. Their lifespan was short and life was never that great. Many of them lived in misery and without hope for this life.

In this context, we can appreciate why people then looked forward to the day of liberation and redemption. There was no hope for this world. They were living in fear of their enemies and of their lives. In a certain sense, the indictment of Karl Marx on the poor Catholics in those days had some truth when he said that religion was the opium of the poor. Religion was used to numb the pain of the poor who suffered under the political and religious institutions. It was the hope for the next life that kept them submissive and enduring.

However, today, the world has changed quite radically. People are educated. Society is democratic in most places in the world. There is a greater call for accountability. There is an international order that promotes justice, equality and freedom for all peoples. Slavery is not accepted in today’s society. Women are to be treated equally with men. Regardless of race, language or religion, everyone must be respected accordingly. Religious persecutions or forced proselytization are not tolerated by society. One is no longer forced to accept another religion or even have any religion at all. Until the 18^th century, atheism was condemned and it was a crime in many places.

Most of all, the world has advanced economically and technologically. The standard of living has improved in many parts of the world. Those in affluent countries have more than enough and as a result there is much wastage due to a consumeristic society. Tons of food are thrown away daily. Things are not made to last because they become outdated in a year. Poor countries receive aid from richer countries even though resolving world poverty is still a long way off. The ugly truth is that 10% of the world’s richest nations and people own 90% of the world’s resources. For those who are living in affluent countries, many of them have become secularized. Their concern is about maintaining a luxurious standard of living, enjoying all the pleasures and comforts of the world, having the best of everything. The focus is therefore extending their economic and political empire, dominating poorer countries to ensure that they remain the most powerful economically, technologically, militarily and politically.

As the gospel says when one is so immersed in the world’s affairs, we have no time for God. When we can depend on ourselves, on science and technology to solve our problems, especially medical or environmental issues, we do not need God. Faith in God is relegated to those who are superstitious or have been brainwashed by their forefathers and the culture they belong to. Intelligent people rely on their intellect and ingenuity. If man can reach Mars, what can prevent him from achieving great things in life, making Artificial Intelligence robots, and solving all challenges by his own strength and ingenuity. So the world is busy fighting fires, resolving the issues confronting humanity, making material life better for everyone, and yet, at the same time, creating more division, discontentment, oppression, injustices and wars. God is forgotten and abandoned.

Indeed, Jesus warns us in the gospel, “Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth.” Indeed, many of us are so absorbed in building our financial nest, acquiring wealth and property, indulging in the pleasures of life, advancing our career, that we do not have much time for God. We shut God out of our lives and often this also leads to shutting our loved ones from our lives as well because of selfishness, self-centeredness and the lure of temptations of the flesh, the world and Satan. For some of us, our lives are lived in confusion and in a mess.

Hence, today, we are called to take heed of the exhortation of our Lord. “Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.” We need to take time off to pray so that we become more realistic in life. We must not forget the words of the psalmist, “You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” (Ps 90:5,6,10, 12) Let us live wisely. Certainly, we must be absorbed in this life and live responsibly, but we must be aware that our life is short compared to eternity. We must use the time here to build up ourselves in love for God and for humanity. To stand with confidence when He comes on the last day, which would most probably be our last day on earth, we need to know Him, love Him and serve Him so that when that day comes, we know He will be with us.