HOMILY FOR 33rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME-C (V. 1)

AT THE CLOSE OF EVERY LITURGICAL YEAR, THE READINGS TALK ABOUT THE END TIMES AND TODAY’S GOSPEL IS NO EXCEPTION.  FOR SOME REASON PEOPLE ARE FASCINATED WITH THE END OF THE WORLD, HOW WE WILL KNOW IT’S COMING AND WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE.  SOME TELEVISION PREACHERS BUILD LUCRATIVE CAREERS GIVING THEIR ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS.   TODAY JESUS HIMSELF GIVES US A DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF THE SIGNS THAT WILL OCCUR: FALSE PROPHETS, WARS, FAMINES, EARTHQUAKES, AND AWESOME SIGHTS.

THEN HE REDIRECTS OUR ATTENTION TO SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT: NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, BUT OUR OWN END.  AND, IF WE’RE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE THAT EVER LIVED, THAT WILL HAPPEN BEFORE THE END OF THE WORLD.  THERE WILL BE AN END OF THE WORLD.  THAT’S FOR SURE BUT WHEN THAT WILL BE IS ANYBODY’S GUESS.  JESUS HAS TOLD US IN MARK 13 AND IN ACTS 1, NO ONE EXCEPT THE FATHER KNOWS WHEN THAT WILL BE.  BUT THERE IS ONE THING WE DO KNOW FOR SURE AND THAT IS, AFTER A SPAN OF SOME YEARS DURING WHICH WE WILL PAY TAXES, WE WILL DIE.

WHETHER WE DIE BEFORE THE END OF THE WORLD OR AT THE END OF THE WORLD IS IRRELEVANT.  WHEN WE DIE, WE ARE GOING TO FACE GOD’S JUDGMENT.  SO WHEN JESUS SAYS IN TODAY’S GOSPEL WORDS TO THE EFFECT THAT NOW THAT I’VE TALKED ABOUT SIGNS OF THE END OF THE WORLD, LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN BEFORE THOSE SIGNS COME, JESUS IS REDIRECTING OUR ATTENTION TO WHAT’S IMPORTANT FOR OUR SALVATION.

THE BOTTOM LINE ACCORDING TO CHRIST: GIVE TESTIMONY AND PERSEVERE.  IF YOU DO THOSE TWO THINGS, THE WHEN AND HOW OF THE END IS NOT GOING TO BE WORRISOME.

WHAT IS WORRISOME IS THAT GIVING TESTIMONY PART.  IN THE AGE WE LIVE IN NOW, THERE ISN’T MUCH OF A MARKET FOR PERSONAL TESTIMONY.  IN FACT, RELIGIOUS TESTIMONY IS ABOUT AS WELCOME AS AN INVITATION FROM THE NEIGHBORS TO COME OVER AND LISTEN TO THEIR KID’S HARMONICA RECITAL.

FOR MOST OF US, FAITH IS SOMETHING PRIVATE AND BEST CONTAINED IN THE FOUR WALLS OF A CHURCH.  IT’S NOT SOMETHING FOR MONDAY AT WORK, WEDNESDAY AT THE GROCERY STORE OR SATURDAY MORNING AT JIFFY LUBE.  PLUS THAT’S WHAT THE CLERGY ARE FOR.  THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF ALL THE TESTIMONY STUFF.  THAT’S THEIR JOB.

BUT MAYBE THE REASON WE DON’T SPEAK OUT IS THAT WE JUST DON’T BELIEVE THAT WE ARE IMPORTANT ENOUGH, WORTHY ENOUGH OR FAITHFUL ENOUGH FOR OUR STORIES TO MATTER TO ANYONE.  MAYBE WE WONDER JUST WHAT IT IS THAT PEOPLE COULD LEARN FROM OUR ORDINARY AND GARDEN VARIETY LIVES.

YET 2000 YEARS AGO JESUS LOOKED AT PEOPLE JUST LIKE US, PEOPLE JUST AS FLAWED AND WEAK, AND SAID “YOU WILL GIVE TESTIMONY”.  AMONG HIS FOLLOWERS WERE HARLOTS, BEGGARS AND THIEVES.  THERE WERE PEOPLE CONSUMED WITH THEIR RICHES, SOME POSSESSED BY DEMONS, AND A LOT WHO WERE CARRYING SOME VERY DISREPUTABLE BAGGAGE FROM THEIR PAST LIVES.

JAMES AND JOHN ARGUED OVER PRIVILEGE AND POSITION; PETER DENIED HIM; THOMAS DEMANDED PROOF; AND NONE OF THEM LIVED A PERFECT LIFE.  YET, EACH OF THEM TESTIFIED.

EVEN IF WE’RE LIKE PETER AND HAVE DENIED THE TRUTH, WE CATHOLICS HAVE A TRUTH TO SPEAK THAT SOMEONE IN THE WORLD NEEDS TO HEAR.  EVEN IF WE HAVE A SINFUL PAST LIKE THAT WOMAN WHO WASHED JESUS’ FEET, WE CATHOLICS HAVE A MESSAGE OF FORGIVENESS THAT SOMEONE IN THE WORLD NEEDS TO HEAR.  EVEN IF WE ARE LIKE ST. PAUL WHO PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS, IRRITATED HIS FRIENDS, HAD A PAINFUL INFIRMITY, AND HAD BEEN RUN OUT OF TOWN, WE CATHOLICS HAVE A MESSAGE ABOUT CHURCH AND COMMUNITY THAT SOMEONE IN THE WORLD NEEDS TO HEAR.

WE DON’T KNOW HOW WE WILL AFFECT PEOPLE.  MAYBE OUR MESSAGE WILL SHOW AN ABUSED WIFE THAT GOD WILL SUSTAIN HER, SHOW A LONELY MAN CAUGHT IN SORROW AND PAIN THAT GOD HOLDS HIM IN HIS PALM, SHOW A DESPERATE BUSINESS OWNER ON THE EDGE OF BANKRUPTCY THAT HONESTY STILL MATTERS EVEN WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING.

EACH OF US HAS A TESTIMONY TO GIVE AND CHRIST PROMISES THERE WILL BE WISDOM IN IT.  MAYBE IT IS NOT FOUND IN WORDS BUT IN OUR STUMBLING AND FALLING AND GETTING UP TO TRY AGAIN.  MAYBE IT IS IN THE WAY WE CARE FOR OUR FAMILIES, THE WAY WE WRITE A BUSINESS CONTRACT, THE WAY WE WELCOME A STRANGER, OR THE WAY WE WAIT ON A CUSTOMER.

PERHAPS WE DON’T REALLY BECOME OF AGE AS A CHRISTIAN UNTIL WE DO SHARE OUR FAITH IN WORDS OR ACTIONS WITH SOMEONE ELSE, UNTIL WE TESTIFY TO THE GOD WHO KEEPS WORKING IN OUR LIVES, AS MESSY AND IMPERFECT AS OUR LIVES MAY BE.

WHEN THAT JOB OF GIVING TESTIMONY SEEMS TOO LARGE OR RISKY, IF WE CAN’T MAKE UP OUR MINDS TO SPEAK OR NOT, THINK OF TODAY’S GOSPEL:

“I MYSELF SHALL GIVE YOU A WISDOM IN SPEAKING THAT ALL YOUR ADVERSARIES WILL BE POWERLESS TO RESIST OR REFUTE.   NOT A HAIR ON YOUR HEADS WILL BE DESTROYED.  BY YOUR PERSEVERANCE YOU WILL SECURE YOUR LIVES.”

JESUS HIMSELF PRACTICED WHAT HE PREACHED.  NEXT SUNDAY IS THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING AND THAT GOSPEL WILL SHOW JESUS HIMSELF TESTIFYING AND PERSEVERING.  HE WILL BE ON THE CROSS.