November 26, 2005
“Doom and gloom” may not be the worst description of the Scripture readings during the last weeks of the liturgical year. For example, the Gospel readings during this time surround a biblical notion known as “eschatology” which refers to the “last days”, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the final coming of Christ. Since the Temple in Jerusalem was the holiest place on earth, and indeed so massively constructed, it’s destruction by the Romans in 70 A.D. could only signal for the Jews the end of the world. Today, as you know, only the Western wall now remains, understandably the most precious relic to the Jewish people.
I would think that before “9-11” most people would have considered monuments like the White House in Washington and Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome sacred and indestructible—but no longer. It appears that not a week goes by without an unexpected terrorist attack turning some place of recreation and even worship into a place of destruction and death. One wonders what will happen next—a new storm, a new strain of virus, a new scandal. Years ago, one simple form of relaxation after work was to watch the evening news, but today just “catching up on the news” causes fear, anger, and anxiety.
Evil events certainly get people thinking about judgment and retribution. Although Our Lord said “no man knows the day or the hour”, there are people trying to figure out the week and the year! Whenever Christ was questioned about the “end times”, He did not offer an answer which would cater to curiosity and sensationalism. Instead, He spoke about being wise and discerning and vigilant. “Wars and rumors of wars”, together with natural disasters, are a part of every generation; therefore we shouldn’t be preoccupied and distracted, but rather, always ready.
As we will soon enter the Advent season, the Church will turn our attention to the coming of Christ—not simply His final Coming, but also His first coming through Mary and His continual coming through the Church. It is important that we don’t simply place our entire attention on just one or two, but rather, all three. We must accept His presence in history, but also His perduring presence in our history as we look forward in hope to His return in glory. At Mass, we proclaim this truth when we say, “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!”
Unless we make a real attempt to enter into the mystery of Christ’s presence in our personal lives, our “world”, then our belief in Jesus Christ will be akin to our belief in George Washington. While most people would readily accept that both made their mark in human history, for many, unfortunately, they both bear the same impact. In fact, some would rather have a few pictures of George in their wallet than one of Jesus on their wall. In reality, for too many George is in fact more important than Jesus.
So, how can Jesus become alive for us so we don’t have to look either back in history or forward into the future? Well, one important way is prayer. This means speaking to Christ from the heart and asking Him to reveal His presence to us. It may mean finding some quiet time and place, perhaps with a candle before a crucifix, and speaking to Him as a friend. While written prayers can be beautiful, what is beautiful to God is speaking to Him in our own words—even if at times they are edged with anger or seasoned with the salt of our tears. Read the Psalms and see how the Jews prayed. They didn’t pray when they felt like it, but they prayed as they felt!
Friends, today more than ever we have to pray. The world in which we live may be no better or worse than before, but things don’t look good. Certainly some of the structures which were so strong and secure in the past are now tottering on the edge of ruin; yet, if the entire Vatican was destroyed, the Church would majestically live on. Yes, amidst all the gloom and doom we have hope and great courage because He who is risen from the dead told us, “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the ages”.
Fr. Glenn Sudano, CFR
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