Throughout the ages, in every culture, people have been preoccupied with the end of the world. Just think about how many movies have been produced around that one theme of doom and gloom and the struggle of the human race to overcome the threat, whether that be from natural disaster or some alien invasion. Hollywood knows there is a lot of money to be made in offering movies about the endtimes as demonstrated by success of movies like: War of Worlds, Armageddon, The Day After, Battle Los Angeles, and Independence Day, to name a few. Certain cataclysmic events raise the fear and promote discussion about when the end is coming and what it will look like. People have found their fame making predictions about just how and when the apocalypse will happen. A few years ago, there was discussion about the Mayan prophecies for the year 2012. According to this pagan culture, December 21, 2012 would mark the end of the world as we know it and usher in a new era. The ancient Mayans are not the only ones to make such a claim. The French seer Nostradamus enjoys fame and intrigue, even today, some 500 years after he lived because of his predictions about disasters and the end of the world. When the Hale-Bopp comet appeared in 1997, members of the Heaven’s gate cult took it as a sure sign of the end times and followed it to disaster. How many of us remember when the year 2000 approached and many were feeling panicked about the supposed computer glitches that would usher in an apocalypse of mayhem and anarchy. Despite all these predictions, even with the panic and anxiety that some of them have brought, well, the world still stands. But people will continue spend too much time thinking and worrying about when and how the apocalypse will come.
The readings we just heard have nothing to do with the Mayan Prophecies, monster astroids, or alien invaders. They speak about the end of time but with a particular emphasis: those who trust in the Lord, and who live His life to the best of their ability have nothing to fear. Daniel says that the archangel Michael is the guardian of God’s people. We usually address this archangel as St. Michael. Daniel calls him “God’s Prince” and says when the final days come, Michael will gather God’s people together including those who have died. The wise will shine brightly. In the Gospel reading Jesus says that on the last day, the angels will gather the elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky. By the way, Jesus also says, that no one knows when the last day will come, not the angels, not even the Son, only the Creator, the Father.
The basic message, despite this uncertainty, is, “Do not be afraid. Trust in God. He will care for you.” We need to do our best to get out of the fearful mindset and live as people of faith. God is infinitely stronger than the forces of the world. He loves us as his people. He loves us as individuals. He loves us more than we can fathom. If we try to be open to His Presence, He will take care of us even if we were to be alive on the last day. St. Augustine put it this way, “If we do not resist the first coming of the Lord, then we will have no reason to dread His second coming.” In other words, if we live the way He told us to live when He was here on earth, then we have no reason to fear when He comes again at the end of the world.
The church wants us to reflect on death and on the end of the world, not because of some morbid fascination but, ironically enough, to help us live our lives better. Reflecting on death helps us to live our lives to the fullest. If you have ever talked to someone who survived a serious accident or illness or who has had a near-death experience, you know how much they value life. The Catholic Church recognizes this truth and wants us to benefit from it as well. It is easy to go through life, day after day, month after month, year after year, and forget how precious life is and how valuable time can be. Stopping to think about the fact that it will end at some point helps us to see what a blessing our existence is and make sure we don’t take it for granted.
Secondly, our annual reflection on death, dying, and the end of the world reminds us that this life doesn’t last forever. We can get pretty comfortable in this world and spiritually complacent as time marches on. These readings keep us on our toes and force us to consider some uncomfortable truths about our state of preparation for the life to come. For example, if I told you today your life would be over by the end of the weekend, would you be happy with how you lived your life? Would you feel satisfied with the state of your relationships with family and friends? Would you be content with how you had spent the time given to you? Would you be grateful and at peace? Or would you have serious regrets? About relationships, decisions and priorities? What is it that you would change or no longer consider important?
These reflections are not meant to paralyze us with fear or regret. It is not some scare tactic the Church uses to put us in our place. Rather, they are intended to bring us to a deeper faith and conversion in our relationship with the the Lord, who wants to remind us that he has prepared wonderful things for us in the life to come. In the final analysis, these readings about death, dying, and the end of the world should bring us peace because they remind us that God is in control. It is not necessary for us to fix everything happening in the world or even make sense of it all. We do our best to give ourselves completely to Him, knowing that he has already given Himself completely to us. As people united to the One who brings life through death, we trust our Savior will care for us in every struggle and circumstance, without exception. May we never forget the words of Daniel in our first reading: “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."
