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This is the message of the first reading and holy Gospel for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. The timing of this proclamation is not accidental. It comes one week before the feast of Christ the King, and the subsequent start of Advent one week later.
As anyone who has lived through the Church’s liturgical year a few times knows, this is the time of the year when the Church reminds us of the reality of the Final Judgment, a solemn truth of our Christian faith. At some point, we know not when, the Lord will return to judge the living and the dead, and all men and women will need to give an account of their lives.
This judgment will be dreadful for those who are not prepared, and particularly for those who have trampled upon the rights of the poor or who have obstinately rejected the kingship of Christ within their lives. But for the humble, the poor in spirit, the compassionate, the faithful, the ones willing to suffer for love, it will be a day of rejoicing, as all eyes will witness the final victory of the good, and the eternal reign of righteousness will commence.
There are many who are deeply disturbed by current events in our Church and in our world. And, as has happened in every era of challenge throughout human history, some see the signs of the end all around us. Is this when the Lord will finally return? The authentically Christian answer is …. maybe. Frankly, it doesn’t really matter. Because how we are to live does not change based upon the timing of the Final Judgement. Regardless of whether the Lord returns in glory tomorrow or in 10 million years, the shape of the Christian life remains the same. Fidelity, hopefulness, sacrificial love — these are the ingredients of a well lived life, and of a soul prepared to stand before the judgment seat that all will endure.
Today’s second reading provides us with a description as to what such a life might look like. St. Paul exhorts his readers to, well, mind their own business and to keep their attention turned to fulfilling the duties of their own state of life and the needs of the community of faith. I wonder what St. Paul would think of social media … Don’t get me wrong. I am certain that the great saint of the missions would utilize the tools of the current day to make the Gospel known and Jesus loved, including the internet. But those sites and bloggers who are dedicated to speculation, gossip, and the faults of others? I think his judgment would be severe.
Leaving aside the question of justice and the charity Christians are obligated to show to others, including one’s enemies, it is also the case that so much of social media is an enormous waste of time, sucking away our day and our hours, never to be found again. And this time would be infinitely better spent in trying to be better priests, dads, moms, employees, friends, children and, oh yeah … Christians. At the end of our life will anyone ask themselves why they didn’t spend more time on the internet, on blogs, on chat rooms, or on Tik Tok? I doubt it. Much more likely will be the regret that they did not spend more time in service others, using the limited time they had to prepare better for the judgment that is coming to all of us.
The Lord is coming back my friends. We know not when, but he is on his way. Mind your own business. You’d hate to be the one with eyes glued to your screens when Jesus comes to ask what you’ve been up to.
Father Erickson is pastor of Transfiguration in Oakdale. He can be reached at [email protected].
Sunday, Nov. 13
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
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