Jesus speaks of unsettling events in our Gospel. There will be wars, earthquakes, and persecutions. Seemingly everything that we hold to be secure will seem to be collapsing around us. Statements such as these are especially true in these trying times when the media stirs such feelings within us through all that is going on within our world.
Nevertheless, the true message of this gospel is not one of fear, but faithfulness. The world that we know is currently passing away, but those who persevere in faith will endure forever. Whenever everything around us seems to be out of control we must cling to Christ who is the one foundation that cannot be destroyed.
Whenever we think of our own death or the second coming of the Lord we should not be terrified, but allow such a thought to awaken us from our slumber. As disciples of the Lord we are not called to place our trust in the powers of this world (those are constantly passing away and can never fulfill), but in the promise of the world to come.
Today we have those among us who have participated in the Rite of Acceptance which is the beginning of their journey toward baptism and the Easter Vigil. Your “yes” given unto the Lord is a reminder to the whole Church that our faith is a pilgrimage. By being marked with the sign of the cross you turn toward Christ for He is the sure hope and final end.
All of us must come to secure our lives through perseverance for we find ourself on this same pilgrimage. Daily we must come to choose the Lord before other earthly allurements. The gospel must be chosen over comfort, truth must be chosen over compromise, and mercy must be chosen over resentment. We are all called to stand firm as a witness to Christ in all that we do.
As we draw to the end of this Church year (and as our catechumens begin their journey to Easter) let us lift up our hearts to Christ who is our hope. War will continue to give rise around us. Natural disaster will continue be a reality. Christians will continue to be persecuted for their faith. The effects of our fallen world will continue to be made apparent. Nevertheless, Christ is the hope who lifts us out of such a plight.
From here we must walk together, the baptized and the soon to be baptized, in perseverance. We are called not to grow wearily in our pursuit, but to be strengthened through the virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Through such a pursuit we continue the pilgrimage of this life as we are renewed in Him who is our beginning and end for He is the Alpha and the Omega. Let us place our trust in Him.
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