R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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.”

This Sunday is the second to the last Sunday of our liturgical year.  As we approach the end of the Church year, today’s Gospel invites us to consider Jesus’ predictions and teachings regarding the end of the world.  In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus’ words are spoken to His disciples as He prepares them for His passion and death.

Last Sunday we heard Jesus’ thoughts about the contributions being made to the temple treasury and the example of sacrificial giving that He saw in the poor widow’s offering. If we had been reading Mark’s Gospel continuously, we would have heard Jesus predict the destruction of the Temple, his teaching about the costs of discipleship, and the woes that will accompany the end of times.  Finally, we would have heard Jesus instruct his disciples about the need for watchfulness so that they will not be caught unprepared for this final day of judgment.

Today’s Gospel, Jesus continues this teaching by offering his disciples signs to look for and indicating that the coming of the Son of Man is near.  His words and images draw upon Old Testament imagery, especially images found in the Book of Daniel.  Jesus then offers the lesson of the fig tree, a parable that teaches that if one knows how to read the signs, one can be prepared for the end times.  He also teaches that no one knows when the end time will come, except for the Father. In the verses that follow this reading , Jesus continues to warn his disciples to be on watch for this end time.  Jesus’ words are not spoken to frighten his disciples, nor should they frighten us.  Rather, they are offered to prepare us for the changes we will experience during our lifetimes and at the end of time.  Our hope and consolation is found in the lasting nature of Jesus’ words and God’s never-ending love for us.

To prepare us for that moment and to strengthen us, we must ensure we are not strangers to the Lord.  We need to repent daily of anything that lead us away from Him.  Better than this is greeting Him face-to-face in the greatest of sacraments, the Eucharist.  When we attend the Sacrifice of the Mass, we relive the Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection.  He offers Himself to the Father on the Cross and we offer ourselves to Him so that He might lift us up.    As we receive him in the Eucharist, we receive an insight of the banquet of Heaven and the Divine Life of God.  The Eucharist of God Himself strengthens us for that moment when we stand before the Son of Man at the end of our days.

As we pray with the scriptures this week, may we remain vigilant, and may we seek out the Lord in all that we do, so that we will have the strength to stand before Him at the end of our days.

Let us take heart and not be frightened.  The end of the world should never be thought of as depressing, disheartening or frightening.  We are in the hands of a good and loving God.  He journeys with us in the trials and difficulties of life and His word is ever-present as a light of hope.  Though it He speaks to us, consoles us, guides us and holds us.

Remember in the end there is Death, Judgment and either Heaven or Hell.   Don’t let go!

Deacon Anthony Falasca, Jr., Permanent Deacon, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica – Saint Anthony Parish

Public service announcements have long been a powerful tool for raising awareness about important issues.

For instance;

Warning. Smoking causes cancer.

Buzzed driving is drunk driving.

This could be your last text.

These well-intentioned messages are meant to warn us of undesired and often fatal consequences should we fail to heed their message.

And such it is with today’s  message from the Prophet Daniel. Prophets are spokespersons of God; intermediaries between God and His people.

Make no mistake about it; God’s message through Daniel is that “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” (Dn 12:2).

Perhaps Daniel’s public service announcement to us would read, “Stop, drop, and roll does not work in Hell.”

Hell is a reality; a place Jesus himself often speaks of “Gehenna,” of “the unquenchable fire reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost” (CCC 1034).

The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, “eternal fire” (CCC 1035).

God does not want anyone to perish.

Those who enter hell do so at their choosing. “Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren” (CCC 1033).

In keeping this warning, in 2016, Pope Francis has designated this Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time as “World Day of the Poor.”

He wrote, “It will be a day that will help communities and each baptized person to reflect on how poverty is at the heart of the Gospel.”

As this liturgical years winds down, our Gospel reading exhorts us to look to the future.

In today’s Sacred Gospel account, Jesus is speaking about the end of the world; the end of time.

It is essential to prepare for that final day known only to God.

“Jesus solemnly proclaims that he will send His angels, and they will gather … all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire” (CCC 1034).

Conversely, “those who die in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live forever with Christ and will be in heaven” (CCC 1023).

And so is our hope; hope rooted in faith that, as we hear in the Preface for the Dead, “we might be consoled by the promise of immortality to come [that] indeed for your faithful, Lord, life is changed not ended.”

But, to do so, we must remain faithful to Christ and His teaching.

In verse 32 of today’s Gospel account, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that “of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mk 13:32).

Were we to read the very next verse, verse 33,  Jesus exhorts his disciples, “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.”

Just like the public service announcements that tell us to “Buckle Up” for we cannot predict when a severe crash will happen, we need to be alert for when that time comes, it will be too late to prepare.

We should take the opportunity make and examination of our conscience and reflect on our thoughts, words, and deeds each night before going to bed, make a heartfelt Act of Contrition.

We also need to take advantage of God’s Mercy in the Sacrament of Confession on a regular basis.

Wise people do such things for no one knows the day or hour when the Son of Man will come to gather His elect.

May we always strive to heed the prophet’s warning and follow Jesus who reveals to us how to obtain everlasting life and never be caught off guard.

Do it; before it’s too late.

Deacon Mark Izzo, Permanent Deacon, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica – Saint Anthony Parish

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.”

R. (1) You are my inheritance, O Lord!
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!

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.

It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion, which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embrace him at a time or in circumstances when one cannot receive Him in sacramental Communion. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,

Come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace you as if you were already there

And unite myself wholly to you.

Never permit me to be separated from you.

Amen.