Homily on the 33rd Sunday in OT, 17 Nov 2024, Maryville Chapel, Talamban
One of my favourite subjects in elementary school was Science. Not only did Science help me understand the anatomy of man but it also opened my eyes to the bigger and wider world of the earth, the plants, the animals and the skies around me including the vast universe of stars, solar systems and galaxies. For me everything looked amazingly beautiful in perfect order and harmony.
Through Science we learned that our world was not flat but spherical. We were also taught that it was not the sun that revolves around the earth, as if the earth was the center of the universe, but it was actually the earth that is revolving around the sun along with many other planets, some of which were many times bigger than mother earth. But the startling question is this: up to when will our world and this vast universe exist? Will all of these ever come to an end?
The stark reality is that we are born, and after living for some years we die. And the scariest part of it is that the bigger world around us seems to be reaching its final end soon. Last 2021, when super typhoon Odette hit Cebu, the howling winds that came along with the endless downpour of rain frightened many of us. It looked like it would be the end of the world. As Odette swept through our islands, the sun seemed to have darkened, and when the night came the moon seemed to have lost its light. It seemed like the prophetic message of Jesus which we heard a while ago was finally coming true.
Today what happened in 2021 seemed to be happening again this time in the North-eastern part of our country. Could this be a sign that the world is really nearing its end?
Brothers and sisters, we have come to the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. It is the last before the solemnity of Christ the King which we will celebrate next Sunday. In the gospel we have heard today (Mark 13:24-32), Jesus is telling us about the terrible things that could happen in the future when the world would finally reach its end: “…the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” Isn’t that really scary? Did Jesus really mean to frighten us regarding the end of the world?
No, on the contrary, today’s liturgy has a very positive tone. I believe what Jesus wanted to highlight is not fear but the faith-filled joy that we shall experience upon his return among us. He said that what we shall see on that great day is “the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” accompanied by myriads of angels. Added to that, we shall also see his angels gathering “his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.” And so, doesn’t that sound quite exciting especially for us who publicly profess this Christian faith and strive to live by it day after day?
This prophetic message is in fact aligned with today’s first reading (Daniel 12:1-3) what the prophet Daniel predicted around 500 years before Christ. He proclaimed that the time of trial and tribulation, unsurpassed in the entire human history, will one day come. And that will be a terrible day for the faithless and the sinful, who will end up in “everlasting horror and disgrace.” However, the good news is that those who are wise and lead many to justice shall shine brightly like the stars in the sky forever.
In other words what the Lord is assuring us in these difficult times is the certainty of our salvation. He wants us not to be afraid even if the sun and the moon won’t shine anymore, and the stars will start falling from the sky, because if we remain faithful to him until the end, we shall certainly shine like the stars in the sky.
While this is definitely good news for us who have been striving to follow the Lord, it is also a big challenge to remain faithful as his chosen ones until the very end. This means while we try to be always healthy and happy, we should also strive to be holy. While we thank God for his material blessings, we should not keep them only for our own temporal good but use them for our eternal salvation and be generous to share such blessings with those most in need. And even if our of our weakness we fall into sin, we should never lose heart because as the second reading tells us (Heb 10:11-14, 18) Christ the High Priest has offered the one sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.
This Sunday is the second to the last in the calendar of the Church. By next week we shall be celebrating the Solemnity of Christ, the King. All these weeks and months we have been blessed and privileged to be walking with Jesus together as a Church, listening reflectively on his words. And so I guess it is very timely that we spend some ME time and reflect on the past year of our lives “How mature has my faith become? How firmly rooted in God’s Word is it now? Have I become a much better person in the way I think, I speak, I react, I do things and relate with other people… in the way I live and celebrate my faith as a Catholic? Have I become a little more like Jesus compared to last year? I beg your indulgence for bombarding you with so many questions but you may just take any one of these to guide you in your reflection.
We are still in the month of November when we prayerfully remember the faithful departed especially our deceased family members, relatives and friends. And it is very timely that we also reflect on our personal lives in preparation for our own death. In so doing we hope and pray that when we will have completed our journey here on earth and Christ will come in great glory and majesty accompanied by myriads of angels, we will be counted among the holy ones to shine like the stars for all eternity.
Today, therefore (or on any day this month) I recommend that you spend some quiet time to recollect yourselves whether individually or as a family. We, Salesians, used to have a striking name for this recollection, and it is the “Exercise for a Happy Death.” In the same way that we need to do some physical exercises everyday to keep our bodies healthy, and so, we also need to do some spiritual exercises to keep our souls healthy. This monthly “Exercise for a Happy Death” may include making a good confession to a priest, after a thorough examination of one’s own conscience.
I remember years ago, when we were still undergoing our formation, during our monthly “Exercise for a Happy Death,” we were also advised to arrange our things inside our rooms, desks and cabinets, to return borrowed things to their respective owners, and to settle whatever debts we owed to anyone. Then at night as we lie down in bed, we should sleep with hands clasped together on our chest imagining ourselves as if lying inside the casket, no longer fearful of death but faithful until the end.
Would you like to try any of these exercises yourselves? I’m sure that if you try to do these spiritual exercises regularly, you will not be afraid anymore when death starts knocking at your door. On the contrary having been faithful to Christ, you will be happy to be welcomed by the angels and saints at the gates of paradise.
May this Eucharist trigger in us the willingness to spend some quiet moments to reflect on the changes we still need to do to become better and holier. We pray too that Christ the King may truly reign in us, ushering us to a new life in union with Him for all eternity. GiGsss!
Appendix: STEPS or ELEMENTS of a GOOD EXERCISE for a HAPPY DEATH
- Introduction: We start with a prayer to the Holy Spirit.
- Reflection: We listen reflectively to someone who can share a reflection on God’s Word or on some relevant topic.
- Conscience-Examination and Confession: We spend some quiet time to examine our consciences to be followed by the Confession of our sins to a priest within the Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation. (While waiting for our turn to confess, we may hold a Holy Hour or recite together the Holy Rosary or the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy or some other devotional prayers.)
- Eucharistic Celebration & Communion: We participate fully, consciously and actively in the next Holy Mass and receive Jesus devoutly in Holy Communion.
- Conclusion: We conclude with reciting the “Prayers for a Happy Death” followed by prayers of thanksgiving and prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father to gain a plenary indulgence.