TRIGÉSIMO TERCER DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO 2024

¿Crees que alguien conoce la fecha exacta del fin de este mundo?

¿Estás preparado para ese día?

¿Crees que Jesús vendrá al final de los tiempos para destruir o para salvar al mundo? Si alguien te dice la fecha exacta del fin del mundo,

¿le creerías?

¿Contribuyes tu a salvar o a destruir nuestro planeta?

Este trigésimo tercer domingo del tiempo ordinario, el Papa Francisco lo ha designado como la Jornada Mundial por los Pobres. Quiere el papa que recordemos a todos los pobres del mundo, la situación en la que viven y si compartimos o no nuestros bienes con los más necesitados. Es un día especial para mirar a nuestro alrededor y descubrir las necesidades de nuestros hermanos y hermanas y acudir en su ayuda.

Por otro lado, nos acercamos al final de este tiempo litúrgico ordinario. Estamos a un domingo de su final, y al comienzo de un nuevo tiempo llamado Adviento. Este domingo, nuestra Iglesia católica nos invita a reflexionar sobre la Segunda Venida de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo y la realidad del fin de este mundo.

La pregunta sobre el fin del mundo no es algo nuevo. Desde hace mucho tiempo los seres humanos se preguntan cuándo se producirá el fin del mundo o el fin de nuestro planeta. Los científicos y muchas organizaciones nos advierten que el fin del planeta se está acelerando debido al efecto devastador que

el ser humano está produciendo en la Tierra. El calentamiento global y el deshielo de los casquetes polares parecen acelerarse como consecuencia de este proceso de cambio climático. Hoy podemos preguntarnos si es Dios quien va a destruir el mundo, o si son los 7.750 millones de seres humanos que

viven en esta Tierra quienes van a hacerlo. En el pasaje del Evangelio de Marcos que leemos hoy, Jesús deja claras cinco ideas o señales a las que

hay que estar atentos:

1. Habrá señales en los cielos que precederán a la aparición de la Segunda Venida del «Hijo  del Hombre»

2. El Hijo del hombre vendrá en una nube con gran poder y gloria

3. Enviará a sus ángeles para reunir a sus elegidos de todas partes del mundo

4. Cuando estas señales sucedan, son una oportunidad para saber que la Segunda Venida de Jesucristo está cerca.

5. Nadie conoce la fecha ni la hora sino el Padre. Esta idea es muy importante, hermanos míos, porque de vez en cuando oímos a algunas personas decir o profetizar que han recibido una revelación especial de Dios o de la Santa Madre de Jesús, sobre el fin del mundo. También hay muchos que profetizan sobre la destrucción o los desastres naturales que están ocurriendo o que van a ocurrir en muchos lugares de la tierra como signos que preceden al fin de este mundo. Por favor, recuerden que Jesús y las Sagradas Escrituras son claras: «...pero de aquel día o de aquella hora, nadie sabe, ni los ángeles que están en los cielos, ni el Hijo, sino sólo el Padre.» No crean a los falsos profetas. Crean a Jesucristo y su palabra. Recuerden que cada situación que enfrentamos es una oportunidad para arrepentirnos de nuestros pecados, cambiar nuestra forma de pensar y preguntarnos cómo estamos mejorando la forma en que vivimos nuestras vidas.

Jesús nos advierte que antes del fin habrá muchas señales en el cielo y en la tierra, pero no tenemos que tener miedo porque no estamos esperando la destrucción del mundo. Estamos esperando que Jesucristo venga de nuevo para salvar a su pueblo. Estamos esperando la consumación de los tiempos. Jesús invito a sus discípulos y a nosotros, para que aprovechemos las dificultades como una oportunidad para dar testimonio de Él en el mundo. Nuestra tarea no es, por tanto, saber cuándo se acabará el mundo, sino asegurarnos de que, con nuestras acciones, damos testimonio de su Presencia en este mundo y no contribuimos a su destrucción. Amén.

Rev. Luis Segura M.S.C.

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THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 2024

Do you think anyone knows the exact date of the end of this world?

Are you ready for that day?

Do you believe that Jesus will come at the end of time to destroy or save the world?

If someone told you the exact date of the end of the world, would you believe them?

Do you contribute to saving or destroying our planet?

This thirty-third Sunday of ordinary time, Pope Francis has designated as the World Day for the Poor. The Pope wants us to remember all the poor in the world, the situation in which they live and whether or not we share our goods with those most in need. It is a special day to look around us and discover the needs of our brothers and sisters and come to their aid. On the other hand, we are approaching the end of this ordinary liturgical time. We are one Sunday away from its end, and at the beginning of a new time called Advent. This Sunday, our Catholic Church invites us to reflect on the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the reality of the end of this world. The question about the end of the world is not something new. For a long time, human beings have wondered when the end of the world or the end of our planet will occur. Scientists and many organizations warn us that the end of the planet is accelerating due to the devastating effect that humans are having on the Earth. Global warming and the melting of the polar ice caps seem to be accelerating as a consequence of this process of climate change. Today we can ask ourselves if it is God who is going to destroy the world, or if it is the 7.75 billion human beings who live on this Earth who are going to do it. In the passage from Mark's Gospel that we read today, Jesus makes clear five ideas or signs to which we must be attentive:

1. There will be signs in the heavens that will precede the appearance of the Second Coming of the "Son of Man"

2. The Son of Man will come on a cloud with great power and glory.

3. He will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from all parts of the world.

4. When these signs happen, there is an opportunity to know that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is near.

5. No one knows the date or the hour but the Father. This idea is very important, my brothers, because from time to time we hear some people say or prophesy that they have received a special revelation from God or from the Holy Mother of Jesus, about the end of the world. There are also many who prophesy about the destruction or natural disasters that are occurring or will occur in many places on earth as signs that precede the end of this world. Please remember that Jesus and the Holy Scriptures are clear: “...but of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Do not believe false prophets. Believe Jesus Christ and his word. Remember that every situation we face is an opportunity to repent of our sins, change our way of thinking, and ask ourselves how we are improving the way we live our lives.

Jesus warns us that before the end there will be many signs in heaven and on earth, but we do not have to be afraid because we are not waiting for the destruction of the world. We are waiting for Jesus Christ to come again to save his people. We are waiting for the consummation of time. Jesus invited his disciples and us to take advantage of difficulties as an opportunity to bear witness to Him in the world. Our task is not, therefore, to know when the world will end, but to make sure that, with our actions, we bear witness to His Presence in this world and do not contribute to its destruction. Amen.

Rev. Luis Segura M.S.C.

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Jesus Illuminates Our Personal Existence…

In this Sunday’s Gospel passage, the Lord seeks to instruct his disciples on future events. Firstly, it is not a discourse on the end of the world, but rather an invitation to live the present well, to be vigilant and ever ready for when we will be called to account for our life. Jesus says: “in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven (vv. 24-25).

These words make us envision the first page of the Book of Genesis, the narrative of creation: the sun, the moon, the stars — which from the beginning of time shine in their order and bring light, a sign of life — are described here in their decline, as they fall into darkness and chaos, a sign of the end. Instead, the light that shines on that final day will be unique and new: it will be that of the Lord Jesus who will come in glory with all the saints. In that encounter we will at last see his Face in the full light of the Trinity: A Face radiant with love, before which every human being will also appear in absolute truth. Human history, like the personal history of each of us, cannot be understood as a simple succession of meaningless words and facts. Nor can it be interpreted in the light of a fatalistic vision, as if all were already preordained according to a fate that removes any space for freedom, preventing us from making choices as the fruit of true decision. However, Jesus says that the history of peoples and that of individuals have a purpose and an aim to fulfil: the definitive encounter with the Lord. We know neither the time nor the way in which it will come about: the Lord emphasized that “no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son” (v. 32); all is safeguarded in the secret of the mystery of the Father. We know, however, a basic principle with which we must confront ourselves: “Heaven and earth will pass away”, Jesus says, “but my words will not pass away” (v. 31). This is the true crux. On that day, each of us will have to understand whether the Word of the Son of God has illuminated our personal existence, or whether we turned our back to it, preferring to trust in our own words. More than ever, it will be the moment in which to abandon ourselves definitively to the Father’s love and to entrust ourselves to his mercy.

No one can escape this moment, none of us! Shrewdness, which we often instill in our conduct in order to validate the image we wish to offer, will no longer be useful; likewise, the power of money and of economic means with which we pretentiously presume to buy everything and everyone, will no longer be of use. We will have with us nothing more than what we have accomplished in this life by believing in his Word: the all and nothing of what we have lived or neglected to fulfil. We will take with us only what we have given.

Let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary that, with the verification of our impermanence on earth and of our limitations, she not allow us to collapse into anguish, but call us back to responsibility for ourselves, for our neighbor, for the entire world. [Synthesized from Pope Francis, Angelus, 18 XI 2018]

Rev. Jos Rajesh Peter M.S.C.

33rd Sunday - Cycle B

My friends, today is the second last Sunday in our Liturgical Year and the Readings today are about the end times – preparing us for the end of this part of our life in the world – and preparing us for the beginning of the next part – in the Kingdom of Heaven – the Fullness of Life...

In our gospel – Jesus invites us to look around at the signs and notice how life is connected to nature.  He uses the fig tree as an example.  How do I see what is happening in my life ?  Am I in a relationship with God?  How is my relationship with my brothers and sisters ?

My friends – in the end – what really matters is our life – our future well-being. 

I'd like to share some insight about the end times from Pope Saint John Paul II:  In August, 1999 – Saint John Paul gave three talks during his Wednesday General Audiences:  one on Heaven; one on Hell – and one on Purgatory.

The Holy Father – applying what St. Thomas Aquinas said hundreds of years ago – said that Heaven, Hell and Purgatory are states of being – rather than physical places – as our human minds perceive.

In a nutshell – this is what Saint John Paul said:

Heaven “is neither an abstraction nor a physical place in the clouds –  but rather a living, personal relationship with the Holy Trinity.  When the form of this world has passed away, those who have welcomed God into their lives and have sincerely opened themselves to his love – at least at the moment of death, will enjoy forever that fullness of communion with God – which is the goal of human life.”

Hell – “is the state of those who knowingly and purposely reject God.  Rather than a place – hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God – and freely choose – to never be with him.”

“Because of Free Will –  man is called to respond to God freely.  Man can either accept – or reject God's love and forgiveness.”  

My friends – this is our sainted pope – who lived in the same era we live in.  If there is someone you are worried about – take heart in John Paul's words. 

We don't jump in and out of Hell – because of this or that.  Hell is a definite choice – that is made to knowingly and purposely reject God from our life.  The question is:  "How many people knowingly and freely choose Hell ??"

Now – what about Purgatory – especially during this month of November – the month of all saints and all souls  ?

The Holy Father explained that purgatory does not indicate a place –  but a "condition of existence", where Christ "removes ... the remnants of imperfection".

Saint John Paul said:  "As we have seen in the previous two catecheses – man has a definitive option for – or against – God.  He can choose to either to live with the Lord in eternal beatitude, or to remain far from his presence."

But – for those who find themselves in a condition of being open to God – but still imperfectly – the journey towards full beatitude requires a purification, which the faith of the Church illustrates in the doctrine of "Purgatory" (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1030-1032).

My friends – although today’s gospel is about the end times – it’s not about death…  It’s about life !  …The fullness of life with our Lord.

When Jesus first began his public ministry – after spending 40 days in the desert – his very first words were, “I have come to proclaim Good News.”

He went on to  say:  “This is the will of my Father:  That everyone who believes in me may have eternal life..."

Good News – indeed…..