Why does this sun go on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore? Don't they know it's the end of the world...Remember this song from back in the sixties? A jilted lover proclaims the end of the world over her misfortune. Some twenty years later another song announced: it's the end of the world as we know it.
There indeed seems to be an obsession with the end of the world. Man has tried to predict it in every generation. Remember Y2K? We survived! Hurricane Katrina sure felt like the end of the world and, despite the pain and difficulty many of us faced, we survived! I guess many might be thinking this past election was the end of the world. Of course it is not. But then this week comes the news of the demise of the twinkie; yet we will survive! The Mayan calendar tells us the world ends in a month or so, 12-21-12. Somehow I'm not cancelling my plans for Christmas and New Years!
As people of faith, we are called to be prepared for our end time and we are called to live our life fully, in the moment, one day at a time!
We hear apocolyptic language today in both the 1st reading from Daniel and from Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. We hear descriptions like the darkening of the sun and the moon and the falling from th sky of the stars. There will be a time of unsurpassed distress. These things sure don't sound pleasant or anything to look forward to. Was Jesus specifically referring to the end of the world. Is he describing the second coming? Scripture scholars suggest that, as a prophet, Jesus was foretelling of the overwhelming destruction of Jerusalem, including the loss of the Temple, which indeed occurred in 70 A.D. In any event Jesus most emphatically teaches us to be prepared and to not anticipate or predict the end times. In fact, most if us realize that our end, on this physical earthly journey, will be our own death. For that too, Jesus teaches us to be prepared.
What may not be quite as evident in this teaching of Jesus is the encouragement to live our lives fully. Instead of cowering in fear of end times or, the opposite, doing nothing because we are convinced he will come again tomorrow, we are to be about the business of living. Our robust response to living every day to the fullest is what we are called to do; it identifies who we are. We are to go to work, go to school, love our families and neighbors, and worship God. Yes, we are not to fear his coming or anticipate his coming, instead we are called to worship God; to love and serve Him and to love and serve one another. Yes, there is hope and joy, even in today's Gospel.
Here at Most Holy Trinity we are blessed to have so many ways to worhsip God, primarily in the celebration of the Mass. And we are blessed to have so many wasy to love and serve Him by loving and serving others in our many ministries, organizations and our outreach to the poor and marginalized. But today I want to address a particular devotion we have here at Most Holy Trinity that cries out for our attention and a more generous response. One of the ways we worship God and live in the moment is to participate in our Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. Unlike other parishes that can coordinate perpetual Adoration in a dedictated chapel or worship space, we currently have no such luxury. As a faith community we have committed to 1st Friday Adoration and Benediction. From the moment our Friday Mass ends until 6:30 in the evening, the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus fully present body, blood, soul and divinity, is exposed on the altar for you and I to worship and adore. Adoration requires that someone be present with our Eucharistic Lord at every minute of Adoration. It is even more preferable that at least two people be present. The Eucharistic Lord should never be left alone once removed from the tabernacle and exposed in the Monstrance. This is up close and personal time with Jesus. This is face time with Jesus. This is you and I looking upon Him and Jesus looking back directly at us. We can rest in His peace, we can absorb his presence, we are called to adore. At 6:30 a prayer event takes place called Benediction. Prayers and readings are offered and then Jesus, in the Blessed Sacrament blesses those present as the Deacon or Priest uses the monstrance to perform the blessing; the Benediction. But make no mistake; the blessing is by Jesus!
Quite frankly, as a robust faith community we need more adorers. On this Sunday when we hear Jesus asking us to be prepared and live our faith more fully, can we consider giving ourselves to Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. We need adorers who can devote an hour to this devotion but whatever time we can give is quality time spent in front of the Eucharistic Lord. During Mass, we will have an opportunity today to commit to this opportunity to say yes to Jesus.
The same Jesus that you and I will line up for today to receive in Holy Communion awaits us here in this Church, always in the tabernacle, but in a special way on First Friday's. Please see me or Dee Laux, our Adoration coordinator if you have any questions and please complete the cards in your pews at the appropriate time.
Why does the sun go on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore? Because it just ain't the end of the world. It's another day to live our life and live it fully and to devote ourselves to praise and worship of our God. And that's worth living for!!
No comments:
Post a Comment