November 18, 2012 – Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dn 12:1-3; Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11; Heb 10:11-14, 18; Mk 13:24-32
Today’s readings draw our attention to the final judgment. The end will come. “Heaven and Earth will pass away,” and though “of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,” we do know that it will come. And each one of us will stand face-to-face with our creator. Will He be pleased with how we’ve lived, and with what we’ve done with the many gifts He’s given us?
Today’s apocalyptic Gospel message offers us a great opportunity to reflect on the meaning of our lives. We know that we were not created to live our lives on Earth forever. We were created to live for God, to live in unity with Him. Our lives in heaven will consist of perfect unity with God; our whole being will be centered on loving and praising Him. Yet, there is no reason for that to wait until we’ve entered eternal glory. In fact, it cannot wait. While we look forward to the day when we will greet the Lord, while we know that heaven is our home, that eternal glory is our goal, we are charged to live in the present. God has placed us here for a reason. He has a mission for each one of us, and He expects us to make good use of the time He has given us on Earth — to praise Him in the way we live our lives, to unite ourselves with Him in the sacraments, and to show forth His glory by serving others in His name.
