First Reading Daniel 12:1-3
In those days, I, Daniel, heard this word of the Lord: “At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people; it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time. At that time your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace. But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.”
Second Reading Hebrews 10:11-14, 18
Brothers and sisters: Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
Gospel Mark 13:24-32
Jesus said to his disciples: “In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. “And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky. “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Always at the end of the Church Year, we hear these readings speaking of the end of time, the judgment and God’s love for us. We should never be dismayed. Even scientifically, the world will have an end. Whether we shall destroy our world before it comes to a natural end is another question. This seemed really possible and imminent a couple of decades ago. Today we tend to trust that political negotiations will not end in a nuclear holocaust.
Why the end of the world? Because speaking of the end of the world makes us much more aware of the question of a life beyond our death. Lots of people no longer believe in these. Lots of people in the time of Daniel also did not believe in life after death. Scripture begins with a dim awareness of God’s creation and God’s love for us. In time, there seems to be a growing understanding that there is a life beyond death. By the time of Jesus we hear of this division between the Pharisees and Scribes, who seem to believe in a life after death, and the Sadducees who deny such a resurrection.
So as we come to the end of the year, we are challenged to believe in resurrection. Followers of Jesus believe in resurrection, both His and our own. The reading from the Book of Daniel is from that part of the book that believes in a life after death: Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
The Gospel of Mark which we have today speaks of the judgement because it speaks of choosing the elect. Not all are chosen. It is a question of how we live. Always in our Christian tradition there is belief in the existence of Hell, even if we do not have to believe that anyone is actually there. This possibility that we might choose eternally against God shows the incredible gift of freedom that God has given to us. True freedom is in choosing God and walking in His way. But there is still that freedom that takes us away from God and leads to Hell.
The second reading today, from the Letter to the Hebrews, tells us that Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God. Jesus has saved us. Yet in order for us to receive salvation, we must believe. That never means that we must believe in a way in which others can recognize our believe, but in a way in which Jesus, who sees our hearts, can recognize our belief.
My sisters and brothers, we have one life to live and it ends in death. There is life after death in Christ Jesus if we accept Him as our Savior. The end of the world is coming. Our death is coming. Let us choose life and the Lord Jesus.