The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
And the love of God
And the communion of The Holy Spirit
Be with you all
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
And the love of God
And the communion of The Holy Spirit
Be with you all
As we approach the end of the Church Liturgical year, our gospel passage today invites us to consider Jesus’ predictions and teaching about the end of the world, the end times, the day of judgment. Jesus’ teaching about this is to his disciples as he prepares them for his passion and death.
Last Sunday we heard how Jesus observed the contributions that were made to the Temple Treasury and the example of sacrificial giving that he saw in the poor widow’s offering. If we continued reading Mark’s following chapters, before our reading today, we would have heard Jesus predict the destruction of the Temple, his teaching about the cost of been a disciple of Jesus, and the woes that will accompany the end of times. Finally, we would have heard Jesus’ instructions to his disciples about the need for watchfulness so that they will not be caught unprepared for this final day of judgment.
In today’s gospel passage, Jesus continues this teaching by telling his disciples signs to look for that will indicate that the coming of the Son of Man is near. His words and images are drawn from the Old Testament imagery, especially from the book of the prophet Daniel. Jesus then speaks about the parable of the fig tree. This parable teaches that if one knows how to read the signs, one can be prepared for the end of time. Jesus also teaches that no one knows when the end time will come, except the Father.
Jesus’ teaching is not meant to frighten his disciples, nor should it frighten us. Rather, Jesus’ teaching is offered to prepare us for the changes that we experience during our lifetime and at the end times. As his followers we are to be watchful and prepare for end times, the of the world. As his chosen our consolation and hope is in the lasting nature of Jesus’ words and God’s never-ending love for us, his chosen one.
God bless you all. Fr. Henry
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