Judgment is Coming

11-17-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Julius Kundi

Last Sunday, our readings began this reflection about the after-life and urged us to entrust ourselves into God’s hands, for He is the God of the living. Today again the liturgy wants to call our attention to the fact that the end of all things will come and then there will be judgment. That this world, with its beauty will all come to an end. Some how the liturgy paints a frightening picture of this end, with statements like "nation shall rise against nation, plagues and famines, fearful omens and great signs, persecutions and trials" will all take place. Understanding these statements about the end time has distracted humanity all through history. Many sects and groups have arisen to claim to know the exact date of the Lord’s coming, and the failure of previous predictions never seems to discourage them from settling on another date for Armageddon. This continues to confuse and distract many Christians from the actual message about how to prepare for the Day of the Lord. But how should we understand and interpret the message of Jesus about the end of time?

I see today's readings as an invitation to us to reflect on the end of the world, not in an atmosphere of panic or fear but in an atmosphere of Christian commitment and Christian confidence by using our talents and resources not for selfish purposes but for the purpose of building God’s kingdom on earth. The first reading assures us of God's justice when we shall appear before him on judgment day. While St. Paul and Jesus want us to know that the end will bring us an understanding of what it is like being Christ-like. That at the end time, Christ will come as the Sun of Justice. All those who are like him will live forever with him; and like him, they will shine like the sun. So if we are like Christ in his first coming, in his suffering, we will be found like him at his second coming, too.

Correct understanding of the message about end time makes us see the challenge we have from the readings more than the fear. The readings seem to have looked at the sum of our life’s work and ask, ‘What have you done with the time you have had’? "How ready are you to give account of your stewardship here on earth"? In truth, the central message is a call to live with a purpose. To use what we have been given, because there will be a reckoning. We will give an account! It is a call to share the gifts of goodness with others. What good is the Good news if we keep it to ourselves? Christ’s message – the Good News of compassion, of mercy, of justice, of hope, of love – is meant to be lived. It is meant to be shared. It is meant to be spread to others. Are we doing that or are we too frightened of what that might involve? This should be our main concern and not about any catastrophe like wars or falling stars.

Fr. Julius