The month of November is a roller-coaster for me. I love the birthday celebrations (my own
comes to mind first, lol—and now Paloma’s birthday, as well!) and most of the Feast
Days. But I also get pretty somber when I
reflect on the death of so many of my loved ones on All Souls Day. The scripture readings at mass for the last 4
weeks or so also remind us of the “end times”. Today's Gospel is also kind of a "downer", unless you read it in conjunction with the other readings the Church has chosen; then, one finds a lot of hope.
In the Book of Daniel we hear of the frightening times at the
end of the world, but are given the reassurance that those who have tried to
lead others to justice will reap their reward. The psalm holds the key on how
we are to do this in the phrase that refers to God showing us the path to life.
It also mentions that our reward is not some fancy gold-lined street as we so
often hear heaven described, but rather that God Himself is our inheritance.
We've already begun to reap that reward here on earth, in that as baptized
Christians we're the adopted sons and daughters of God.
The second reading reassures us that Christ has made the
sacrifice for our sins once and for all. That has been done. We no longer have
to worry about that, although obviously we need to strive toward holiness and
repent for our sins. The Gospel is like the final climax, depicting Christ
coming at the end of the world and the angels being sent out to collect the
just for the kingdom of God.
So, what does all this mean for us on a day to day basis?
It's quite simple, as following Christ usually is. We are to ask Christ to show
us the way every day. We prayerfully discern what He is asking of us and we do
it. That's it! And to make things even more reassuring, we're often told in
scripture, and—in particular—today’s psalm, that Christ is with us through all
of this and therefore we shouldn't be disturbed.
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