Jesus Reconciles All Things to Himself

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time | Year I

November 26, 2021  

Readings (Please click here to read full text)
    Reading I: Dn 7:2-14  
    Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81  
    Gospel: Lk 21:29-33

In these last days of the liturgical year, we continue to reflect on the End Times.

In our first reading, the vision of Daniel tells us about the emergence of four immense beasts. In tomorrow’s continuation of this reading, Daniel interprets it as the rise of four kingdoms of the earth. Their dominion would soon end with the coming of the son of man who was given by the Ancient One an everlasting dominion which no one and nothing could destroy. This refers to the coming of Christ as King of the Universe, to whom all the other kings shall serve, all of the earth, and everything that is created shall bow down to praise and glorify God, as portrayed in our Responsorial Psalm.

Yet, even if they serve, praise, and glorify God, everything, including heaven, will one day pass away at the coming of the Kingdom of God, which will subsist because this Kingdom is the Word of God. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Lk 21:33). This is the Word that created heaven and earth. Their passing away does not mean their annihilation. Instead, it is their reconciliation with the Word, Jesus Himself. St. Paul wrote, "For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross, whether those on earth or those in heaven" (Col 1:19-20).

The End Times, the coming of the Kingdom of God, therefore, is not about the end of everything, rather, it is about the Word reconciling all things to Himself in its fullness.

Fr. Joel R. Lasutaz, SSS

Image credit: flickr.com

Is Our World Ending?

Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time | Year I

November 23, 2021

Readings: Click here to read the full text
    Reading I: Dn 2:31-45
    Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61   
    Gospel: Lk 21:5-11

According to Meriam-Webster Dictionary, END means "the point where something ceases to exist." In this definition, the end of the world means that the world ceases to exist. It will simply vanish into oblivion, total annihilation of everything. This is what many people think about the End Times. However, what Jesus taught us in the Gospel about the things that are bound to happen, the rise of false prophets, wars and insurrection, "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (Lk 21:10), "powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky" (Lk 21:11), happened through many years and centuries, is happening these days, and will still happen in the future. Yet, the End has not come. Jesus said "such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end" (Lk 21:9). When will it be? No one knows. 

However, for us Catholic Christians, the End is not about the annihilation of the created world. Pope Francis said, "God's plan is to renew everything in Christ and ‘bring everything to its fullness of being, truth and beauty.’" He further said that at the End Times, "we will be face to face" with God. "It's beautiful to think about this, isn't it, to think about heaven. All of us will be there, all of us. It's beautiful and gives us strength" (General Audience with Pope Francis, November 26, 2014). The End Times then is something beautiful to look forward to with greater hope, rather than something to be afraid of.

As Christians, we are not to fear the End Times nor be anxious about its coming. Instead, we prepare ourselves for it by living a life of holiness as we journey towards the eternal life Jesus has prepared for us.

Fr. Joel R. Lasutaz, SSS

Image credit: jimmyakin.com