ON YOUR MARKS… GET SET… ! (Homily for Sunday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year B.)

Bible Study:  Daniel 12, 1 to 3. Hebrews 10, 11 to 18. And Mark 13, 24 to 32.

The fact that we all shall die is a reality no one can deny. From the very day we are born, we become old enough to die. We even count our age based on how old we are. Some of us here are five years old, others are fifty years old, whether it is one or a hundred, all of us are old. And death has no particular order, we do not die the same way we are born. Some live very old and die, others live for a relatively short time but die all the same.

In the wave of the terror attacks in France recently, the world as a whole has been thrown into some degree of shock, even Pope Francis is been quoted as saying this attacks may just be the beginning of a third world war. Should that be the case, then history is about to repeat itself and the very images our readings conjure in us today may as well become living realities.

Our readings today simply remind us of something that we already know; the fact that this world as we see it is not everlasting; that it would surely come to an end someday; that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead; that there is a reward for us if we live righteously and eternal punishment awaits those who live wickedly.

The fact that we have not yet died right now and these things are yet to happen simply means we have a little time on our hands; time to prepare! Just like runners about to begin a race, we must position ourselves and wait patiently for the sound of the gun. Does this mean we can no longer go about our daily activities? Does this mean we should stop working, and start spending our entire lives right inside the church waiting for the last day? Not at all.

Preparing for death simply means that we have to change our attitude to life generally. It means that we have to be more passionate about the things of heaven than the things of this world. It means we have to constantly remind ourselves that everything we have will pass away someday and that there is no guarantee that we shall be alive tomorrow. It means that we have to live in constant expectation of death even as we perform our daily activities.

That is to say, we should no longer be afraid of death. And when we hear about the death of anyone, it should not leave us feeling sad and worried, it should simply reinforce our conviction that very soon we would follow suit. Living in expectation of death brings about a certain degree of lightness. We no longer take things too seriously, we no longer see the need to amass wealth upon wealth as if that was the essence of life. Knowing that we must die imprints within us a desire to give, to share and to care knowing that we can never take anything with us out of this life.

Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, help me to get ready so that the d-day whenever it comes will not be a shock to me. Amen.


Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy Sunday.

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