Reflection by Deacon Matt

Reflection for 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: 

Daniel 12:1-3: As the liturgical year draws to a close, we meditate not just on the approaching end of the Church year, but on the approaching end of our lives, as well. In order to help us to focus on the “four last things,” (death, judgment and heaven or hell); we’re given this prophetic vision of the resurrection at the end of time. Daniel is soberly reminding us and cautioning us that we all will be judged when we’re resurrected from death; being summoned to the judgment by St. Michael the Archangel. This passage alerts us of the necessity of preparing ourselves for death. Let’s take time these next two weeks to “prepare” for death, by going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We might also consider spending more time in prayer and Scriptural reflection. Doing so is time well-spent!

Psalm 16: “You are my inheritance, O Lord!” When we reflect and meditate upon our being judged at the end of time; we can’t help but consider soberly where our decided destination will be… Heaven or Hell. Will we be rewarded or punished? The answer to that question is largely ours to decide, via the decisions we make in our lives between now and the time of our death and judgment.

In this beautiful psalm, the psalmist reverently expresses trust in God; peacefully trusting that God does and will take care of all of our needs as we go through life. In the second verse, the psalmist professes faith and trust that God will awaken/resurrect him or her from death at the proper time. Meanwhile, this blessed soul rests in serenity that can only come from having confidence in God. We, like the psalmist, can pray to God with thanksgiving and confidence, that God will raise us and bring us to Heaven at the appointed time.

Hebrews: 10:11-14,18: Heretofore, we’ve reflected upon our confident faith belief that we’re to be resurrected with the Lord, as part of the Communion of Saints.  We’ve acknowledged that we totally depend upon Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and for our salvation and redemption. We’re saved by Jesus’ Sacrifice of Himself upon the Cross, which transcends time and spans eternity. Jesus’ eternal priesthood is contrasted from our earthly priesthoods.
Let’s reflect upon the extraordinary and incomprehensible love that Jesus has for each one of us, such that He’d willingly give His life again, if it were needed to save any one of us! That’s a lot of love and compassion and reflects Jesus’ legendary infinite mercy! Thank You, Jesus! Forgive, heal and make us whole!

Mark 13:24-32: The culmination of today’s reflection is this impactful passage! Here, Jesus gives us a glimpse of the struggles faced by those living in this undisclosed future “end time.” It sounds scary, doesn’t it? Yet, there is also such hope! Like today’s prophetic reading from Daniel, we’re given a vision of angels gathering God’s people for the judgment and for their entrance into their final destination; whether that destination be heaven or hell.

Next, Mark gives us a vision of the Risen Jesus, descending from the clouds of Heaven; sending out angels to gather His chosen souls, or the “elect.” Like St. Paul and Daniel the prophet, Jesus is urgently warning us to be vigilant in our life-long decision-making and how we live our lives; so that when the time of our death comes; we can go peacefully and not be afraid.                                                   

Trust in God!  
Deacon Matt