HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II ( St. Cecilia)
THEME: It’s The End of the World and We Know It!
BY: Deacon Bill Frere
Gospel – Luke 21:5-11
Ever notice how many songs there are about the end of the world? Skeeter Davis, REM, Phil Collins and Genesis! Sad songs about the end of a relationship, someone hitting that nuclear red button, or the feeling of just giving up! Moments in time where we were convinced that the end was near! And we have certainly had our moments as well – terrifying storms that shook the house and made us run for the basement. Or maybe it was that moment of family tragedy or personal crisis, that moment that we thought we would never survive. Add to that what we are experiencing today: outbreaks of RSV and the flu especially in our children, over 6 feet of snow in upper New York State, hurricanes on the East Coast and bitter cold in the Midwest. Moments of devastation and pain that we tend to see as a sign of the end of the world.
Jesus speaks to us today about signs – signs of destruction and war, of the end times when not one stone will be left on top of another. And He warns His disciples not to misinterpret those signs and especially not to be afraid! Trust!
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We see those signs all around us and it can lead us all down a dark road of despair and fear. It can lead us to lose faith! It is easy for us to fall into the trap of giving up. And yet consider this, consider all the times in the past when we thought we were lost, when we thought our life was over, that there was no way out and no way forward. And yet, here you are, still standing, still a child of God! He got you through those dark times, those times you thought were the end!
So maybe today, instead of focusing on signs of the end, let’s focus on signs of hope! They really are all around us, if we only take the time to notice. Those unsung heroes who pulled that driver out of a burning car! That 10 year old girl who helped her mom deliver her child at home! Those police officers who saved a 10 month old with RSV from choking to death! That little girl who made it her mission to bake cookies and deliver them to the local fire stations!
How about today you fill in the blank____________________________ How about you find a way to be a sign of hope in a world of chaos and fear!
Trust in the Lord, I will praise Him still, my Savior and My God!