November 8th
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Live As If”
I call this homily: “The End of the World 101.”
What do we Catholics believe about the end times? On the other hand, perhaps it will be best to start with what we DO NOT BELIEVE.
We do NOT believe in some secret rapture where a select few will be plucked up by God to avoid the final tribulation. (The “Left Behind” series is fiction; it is heresy if thought to be accurately scriptural.)
A couple hundred years ago in 1830 a Scottish visionary, belonging to a sect known as the Irvingites, claimed while in a trance that this pre-tribulation “rapture” would occur. 1800 years of previous Church teaching and scriptural interpretation, however, rejects his “rapture” notion. Why?
1 Thessalonians 4:17, which we heard today, does NOT speak of some secret coming of Christ. (Indeed, the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God will be quite PUBLIC!)
Rapture enthusiasts say Christians must be snatched from the world because God has promised them escape from the great tribulation of the last days. But the opposite is scripturally true. Jesus promised that in that time of trial THE ONE THAT PERSEVERES TO THE END WILL BE SAVED. (Mt. 24)
Finally, the “some will be taken, and some will be left” reference rapture enthusiasts use is stated by Jesus “according to the way it was in the days of Noah,” a reference to a story where the flood carries away all the wicked. The “taken” are actually those to be punished and this happens at the end.
In summary, Catholics do NOT believe in some rapture.
What do we believe? We believe what our Tradition and Scripture has always said:
We believe there will be ONE return of Jesus known by us as the Second Coming.
We believe just before this Second Coming the Church will suffer great tribulation and the anti-Christ will mislead and deceive many.
We believe the Jewish People, the People of God’s First Covenant, will come to recognize Jesus Christ as their Messiah before he returns.
We believe this Second Coming will be a magnificent public triumph, NOT invisible nor secret. It will be universally visible and undeniable.
Finally, we believe at this Second Coming the dead will be raised bodily (in a glorified state), Christ will judge the living and the dead, and God’s Kingdom will come in its fullness
This is what we Catholics believe about the End Times.
So where does that put us now?
We are in-between the First and Second Coming of Christ.
We celebrate the First Coming with our liturgical year.
[Christmas celebrates the Incarnation. Easter celebrates the Paschal Mystery. In-between these celebrations we explore Jesus’ life and ministry.]
Yet, there is also prophesy pointing to a glorious king and powerful judge … a Second Coming.
The prophets speak of it. (Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah)
The Apostles speak of it. (Peter, Paul, John)
The Book of Revelation speaks of it. (“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth …”
We believe we are in-between these two Comings. The “thousand-year reign of Christ” mentioned in the Book of Revelation refers to this present age in-between the two Comings, with the saints in glory in heaven being the ones reigning with him.
Remember, numerology is utilized in the Book of Revelation where numbers represent concepts. The number “1000” represents the concept of absoluteness of completeness. Thus, the “thousand-year reign” reference means Christ will reign throughout the in-between time … not that there will literally be 1000 years between Comings.
We Catholics focus our hope on God’s promise of glory for those who keep faith through the suffering prior to the Second Coming on the other side of which is God’s new creation.
This is what we believe about the End Times, but about now you might be asking yourselves, “So what?” Why does it even matter what we believe about the End Times?
It matters because it is our nature to “LIVE AS IF”!
Our vision of the future shapes how we live in the present moment.
Think about it: When you have something to do at the end of the day that you dread, this colors the whole day. You worry about it, obsess about it, and stress about it all before it happens. YOU LIVE AS IF.
Likewise, when you have something to do at the end of the day for which you look forward your day is colored by joyful expectation. YOU LIVE AS IF.
In our Gospel five virgins LIVED AS IF the groom was coming and they were ready. They tended their lamps, disciplined their efforts, and built their characters. Even if the groom had not come that particular night, they were better off than the others for having prepared.
But the groom DID come. Christ is coming!
LIVE AS IF … You believe Christ reigns.
LIVE AS IF … You believe Christ will see us through all trials.
LIVE AS IF … You believe God’s promise that a new heaven and a new earth will come, not just utter destruction.
LIVE AS IF all things are possible in the Lord, tend the light of faith given each of us at our baptism through good deeds, and then we will find ourselves prepared like the five wise virgins when the Groom returns, and we will be welcomed into the feast.