The Gospel we heard on Sunday might seem quite alarming:
But in those days, following that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time, people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And
he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
(Mark 13:24-26)
Through the ages, there has been widespread speculation about the world’s end. Sometimes, people use the world’s end to instil fear or the wrath of God. Jesus tells us that only God the Father knows the precise time. We know that the early followers of
Jesus, like St. Mark, thought that the second coming was near, and they felt this acutely when they looked at the broken world around them. They looked towards the imminent second coming with great anticipation and joyful expectancy.
We must not let ourselves be misled by claims or speculation that the end is near. Yes, we live in a troubled world, and we should not be blind to the troubles around us—there is much division and
hatred. Our society and the planet are fractured.
Our task is different. We are invited to live a qualitatively different way of life in the world, no matter how dark or troubled it is: to live Christ’s way.
Take some time to examine your life today. How do you live a qualitatively different life based on your discipleship of Jesus? How might you begin, from
today, to live a more Christ-like life that offers others a sense of hope and joy?
Reflections by Russell Pollitt SJ
