33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Year B, “The Apex of Time”
Daniel 12:1-3, Hebrews 10:11-14, 18, Mark 13:24-32
In JRR Tolkein’s “THE HOBBIT”, when Bilbo Baggins meets Gollum for the first time, Bilbo is lost and
desperately in need of finding his way out of Gollum's cave. Gollum promises to show him the way if he can
answer the following riddle:
There is a thing that exists that devours all things:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
It gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stone to meal;
It slays kings, ruins towns,
And beats high-mountains down…
With all that's going on inside of Bilbo's head at this time, he needs a moment to think about it and so he says:
“GIVE ME TIME!” When Gollum hears the word "TIME", he mistakenly takes it as Bilbo’s answer, which of
course is right. TIME: it devours all things, even life itself...
As we all know, when we’re 8 years of age, we speak a certain way because we see the world through our
limited life experience. When we’re 20 years of age, we speak differently than when we were 8 and yet, it's out
of the same life that's being lived out, but from a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
It's helpful for us to keep this in mind when trying to make sense of our Lord's words today because they are a
far cry from our Lord's inspirational, heart warming, make you feel good all over stories and parables. The
context that gives rise to our Lords words is one that serves as an invitation for us to be mindful of the TIMES in
which we live: "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its
leaves, you know that summer is near."
We need to be mindful of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES in which we live for the events that surround us have a
story to tell. Stories that impact the world we know, the people we love, and the life we live…
Sadly, ours is a TIME when people in many places of our world, NOW live in constant fear… And with good
reason, for as the world was reminded yesterday, by means of an ACT OF TERROR SPEARHEADED BY
THE ISLAMIC STATE in Paris where well over 100 of our brothers and sisters died while attending a heavy
metal concert at the BATACLAN concert hall; that ours is a Disturbing Time in History.
After having survived thundering machine guns echoing throughout the airwaves, a journalist present at the
concert told CNN:
Two men dressed in black started shooting and after wounded people fell to the floor, the gunmen shot
them again, execution-style: "We lied down on the floor not to get hurt. It was a huge panic. The
terrorists shot at us for 10 to 15 minutes. It was a bloodbath..."
Just prior to their attending the concert, while tying their shoes and choosing which jacket to wear, not one of
those people murdered in cold blood knew that their life along with their families lives were about to
experience the END OF A TIME that they will never know again… For all who are directly and indirectly
involved in what has transpired on the world stage, the Son of God's words from today's gospel took on a literal
meaning: "The sun was darkened, and the moon did not give its light. The stars of peace were shaken
from the heavens while the Angels were sent to gather the souls of those who tragically died at the hands
of hatred and division.”
As Pope Francis said: "There is no religious or human excuse for this. This is not human…” It's not human
because war, hatred, division, murder are all fruits born out from the influence of the demonic amidst a fallen
world.
The SIGNS OF THE TIMES in which we live indicate that our world is at war – and not just a war between
the Islamic State and the rest of humanity – but even right here in our own ‘so-called’ Land of Freedom: there
is a War of Ideologies, Lifestyles, Choices, and Agendas. For now, the bullets flying past our heads for being
Catholic Christians are those of words, for now…
Back in the year 2000, if someone would've predicted the events that we are experiencing now, no one would've
ever believed it. IT'S SHOCKING!!! Very much like it was for our Lord's disciples 2000 years ago when they
had just finished praying for hours on end in the Temple of Jerusalem as they were walking out, suddenly our
Lord turned back and pointed towards The Massive Structure of God's house on earth and says: "Do you see
this Great Building... I tell you, not one stone will be left on another."
It's hard for us to GRASP THE SHOCK that must have washed over the faces of his disciples because the
smallest stone that made up the Temple structure weighed 2 to 3 tons. The largest existing stone, which is part
of the Wailing Wall, is 12 METERS IN LENGTH AND 3 METERS HIGH! IT WEIGHS HUNDREDS OF
TONS! Back during the days of Jesus, the walls of the Temple towered over Jerusalem, over 400 feet in one
area. And inside the four walls was a floor that was 45 acres of Bedrock that was Shaved Flat!!
You could fit a quarter million people within the structure – there’s not one sport throughout the entire world
that even comes close… And yet, in the year 70, that's less than 50 years after our Lord prophesied its utter
destruction, the Temple was destroyed by the Roman Army while thousands of Jewish people were murdered
in cold blood.
The HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS of Josephus, a first century Jewish Roman scholar, reports:
“Most of the slain were peaceful citizens, weak and unarmed, and they were butchered where they
were caught. The heap of corpses mounted higher and higher about the altar; a stream of blood
flowed down the Temple's steps, and the bodies of those slain at the top slipped to the bottom…”
WHERE DO WE GO WITH ALL THIS? Cause it's been part of the human story right from the beginning of
creation when Cain slayed his younger brother Abel out of jealousy. And while the sacredness of Time and
Creation continues on along the path that God’s Justice has destined for it to experience, here we are going
about our day-to-day activities until something like what's just unfolded in Paris unleashes upon us with all of
its Fury and Incomprehension.
Time and time again, no matter how many beautiful sunsets we take in along life’s journey – time and time
again we are brought right back to the foot of the cross. And today, we stand there alongside our Blessed
Mother Mary – we are standing there while tears stream down our eyes, our arms extended towards the
Heavens as we search for Meaning and Understanding…
Those of you who have spent a little more TIME on earth and others will be familiar with the movie “BEN
HUR”. Near the end of the film, there is an Epic Chariot Race that proved to be a lot more complicated for the
actors than initially was envisioned.
After many days of practice and extensive work, Charles Heston returned to the movie set, walked up to the
director and said: “Cecil, I think I can drive that chariot all right - but I'm not sure that I can actually win
that race!”
With a slight smile dawning upon his face, the director replied:
"Heston, you just stay in the race, and I'll make sure you win."
TRUTH be told – with all that's going on at this time Economically, Spiritually, Historically, all believers
throughout the world need to keep in mind that: "When THE FULLNESS OF TIME HAD COME, God sent
his Son to redeem those that were under the Law so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians
4:4-7) The Appointed Time, the Apex of Creation, was fulfilled through the death of God's Son on the cross!
And it's from there, at the foot of that cross that we stand this day mourning the innocent deaths of so many
of our brothers and sisters throughout the world.
I leave you with a promise from the Son of Man – from He who makes sure that believers who stay in the race
of Faith will WIN:
"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to Everlasting Life, and some
to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky,
those who lead many to righteousness: like the stars forever and ever.” Amen