Pastor's Message

                    33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 

“But about that day or Hour, no one knows, neither the Angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mark 13:32

               Today we celebrate the 33^rd Sunday of the Year of the Church, a Sunday before the Solemnity of Christ the King, which will mark the end of the Liturgical Year: 2023-2024.

              The Year of the Church has always been presented to us as journey, beginning with the preparation of the coming of the Son of God in Advent, to His Birth, His Death, Resurrection and Ascension, to the time of the Church; the time of the Holy Spirit which begins with Pentecost.  

              Last Sunday, Jesus concluded his teaching in the Temple area with a Model of Generosity – the Widow putting two small coins into the Temple Treasury – Jesus reminded his disciples that it was the generosity of heart that mattered when it came to giving; “In truth I say to you, this poor widow has given more than all the other who contributed in the treasury…for they have contributed from their surplus wealth  // but she, from her poverty has given all she had to live on.”

             Today, the Gospel and the 1^st reading, take us to the heart of Christ’s teaching about the “End of Time.”

             The beginning of Chapter 13 of the Gospel of Mark, from which the Gospel reading of today is taken, as Jesus was leaving the temple area, one of his disciples expressed his amazement at the size and the splendor of the Temple;

           “Master, look at the size of these stones! Look at the size of the building!”- telling the Creator to marvel at the created!

            Jesus replied “Do you see these Great Buildings? There will not be one stone left upon another that will not be thrown down!” Mark13:1-2

             The disciples must have been shocked at the prediction! The Temple destroyed! Again! They must have been anxious to know the time this was going to take place!”

             Jesus sitting on Mount of Olives overlooking the Temple, Peter, John, James and Andrew raised the question about what Jesus had said about the end of temple; “Tell us, when this is going to happen and what signs will there be that it was about to take place?”

             Jesus gave the answer we hear in the Gospel reading of today and avoided to give a direct answer as to the when. Instead, He gave a list of portents; the signs of the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem was about to take place: There will be Great tribulations and “this generation will not pass away until all these things happen.”

             The Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed in the Year 70 CE and was Never rebuilt until today!

             Jesus then confirmed that there would be his second coming at the end of times Those who will witness the end of time will see “the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great Power and Glory.”

             The disciples were then to be attentive and learn from the lesson of the fig tree; like with the tree, the glorious coming of Christ was certain and inevitable! The disciple consequently was not to be preoccupied with date and hour. Why? Mark answers this in Chapter 13, verse 32; “Of that day or Hour, no one knows, neither the Angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

             May God continue to bless us with his Graces that we may persevere until the end. Amen.