And you know, many of us are so naïve and live in such a
state of expectant panic that if we hear that something horrible is going to
happen and we learn that there is some sort of a religious reference, many of
us believe whatever is presented. Then we come to Church on a Sunday at the end
of the Church year and hear readings about the end of time. There are always
readings about the end of time at this time of the year. Some will put these
readings together with the 2012 thing and think there might be something to it.
There isn’t. The premise of 2012 is based on a Mayan prophecy, and the Mayan’s
were not Christians…
Anyway the readings we just heard have nothing to do with the
Mayan Prophecies. They speak about the
end of time but with a particular emphasis: those who trust in the Lord,
and who live His life to the best of their ability have nothing to fear. Daniel
says that the archangel Michael is the guardian of God’s people. We usually
address this archangel as St. Michael. Daniel calls him, God’s Prince. So, we
just heard that when the final days come, Michael will gather God’s people
together including those who have died. And, the reading says, the wise will
shine brightly. In the Gospel reading Jesus says that on the last day, the
angels will gather the elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to
the end of the sky. By the way, Jesus also says, that no one knows when the
last day will come, not the angels, not even the Son, only the Creator, the
Father.
The basic message, though, is simple: Do not be afraid. Trust in God.
He will care for you. We need to do our best to get out of the fear
mind set and live as people of the faith we profess. God is infinitely stronger
than all the forces of the world. And He loves us. He loves us as a people. And
He loves us as individuals. He loves us more than we can fathom. If we do
everything we can to be open to His Presence, He will take care of us even if
we were to be alive on the last day. St. Augustine put it this way, “If we do
not resist the first coming of the Lord, then we will have no reason to dread
His second coming.” By that he means if we live according to the way He told us
to live when He came to be one of us, then we have no reason to fear when He
comes again at the end of the world.
Perhaps many of us are not inordinately concerned about the
end of the world. But each of us does have certain areas of fear in our
lives. Some are afraid due to
their health or that of a loved one. Maybe we are going to die sooner than we
expect. Everyone dies sooner than she or he expects. Should we live in panic
like the pagans, or should we trust in God to care for us? We need to trust in
God. Some are afraid that their lives are not going to turn out as they hope. No
one knows how our lives will turn out. I never thought I’d be a priest in the
United States. I don’t know what is going to happen. I do know that my plans and God’s plans are often quite
different. I am certain you can say the same thing. Where will each of us be 10
years from now, or 20 or 30 or 50? Whatever the future brings, we have no
reason to fear. We trust in God. We are Christian. We are people of Hope.
Today’s readings tell us that God is in control. We do our best
to give ourselves to Him. He gave Himself to us for that very reason, so that
we, in turn, can give ourselves to Him. As people united to the One who brings
life through death, united to Jesus Christ, we trust our loving Savior to care for us ■
[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_(film)
Illustration: Illuminierte Seite aus dem Waldburg-Gebetbuch, WLB Stuttgart, Cod. brev. 12, fol. 70v
Illustration: Illuminierte Seite aus dem Waldburg-Gebetbuch, WLB Stuttgart, Cod. brev. 12, fol. 70v
