Last Sunday after Pentecost
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. When I turned forty, I wouldn’t say I had a mid-life crisis, but I will say that I took stock of my life. Forty is not old, yet it significant, because eighty years old would be a good life, and the fortieth birthday means that I’m halfway there. So I looked back to what I had done and what I had failed to do (using the words of the Confiteor).
As we come to this last Sunday of the liturgical year, we would do well to take stock of how our last year has gone. I don’t mean so much in our natural lives, though that is fine to recall, too. But I mean our spiritual lives. How have we grown closer to Christ? Or have we grown further separated from Him? What virtues have really taken root? Or what vices? What grand intentions have we put into place? Which ones remain simply intentions upon which we never or rarely acted?
Our Lord gives us signs of when things would come to a head, so to speak. One Scripture scholar notes that the abomination of which our Lord spoke in reference to Daniel was when the Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes set up a statue of Zeus in the temple in the year 167 BC. The scholar notes that early Christians would have seen the destruction of the Temple in AD 70 as a similar calamity. But what has entered into the temples of the Holy Spirit that we are? How have we given into the world and worldly views?
Our Lord also mentions false messiahs. Others will point to false saviors and false prophets, whether in the desert, or in a room. He tells us not to believe them. Do we have people or things in which we put the trust that we should only put in God? It’s so easy to elevate a person like a political leader or party, or a material good like money to the place that only God should occupy. I will even get very queasy when, in March, the phrase pops up associated with the Michigan State basketball team, “In Izzo we trust.” I’m all for some good March Madness, and Tom Izzo, who is Catholic, does seem to find a way to bring his team along to the Big Dance. And that phrase is said in jest. But still, whom do we trust? Maybe this time of year, we’re putting more trust than we should into Dan Campbell. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing the Lions win for a change. And he seems like a good guy, so I’m not trying to detract from his good name. But how much do we allow a win from our men in Honolulu blue to affect our lives? There’s nothing wrong with being a Lion or a Spartan fan (though I know there are a number of Wolverine fans who would say differently to that last part), but how much of our lives are spent focusing on sports, distracting us from things that matter much more and last much longer?
But this year-end review is not all bad news. While it’s good to examine our conscience, we should not only focus on what we have done wrong, but what is going right? How are we progressing in virtue and growing closer to God? Because, even in the midst of these tribulations, God promises mercy to those who stay faithful. Christ mentions that the days of tribulation will be shortened for the sake of the elect. God knows how much we can take, and He doesn’t give us more than we can handle (even if we end up saying with St. Teresa of Calcutta, I wish God didn’t trust me so much). And none of the end tribulations should catch us off guard, because Christ Himself has warned us about what is to come, even if some of it has already come.
So, spend some time today reflecting on the past liturgical year. Focus on areas in which we can grow. But, also focus on successes we have found in Christ and cooperating with Him. Both are important to note. And pray, as we come to the end of this liturgical year, that we will remain faithful to Christ, no matter what happens in the world; no matter what happens in the Church. Pray that we will have the strength to survive any tribulation because we are connected to the one who does not pass away, even as the heavens and the earth will, God: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
