The World Day of the Poor!
The World Day of the Poor!
Pope Francis invites us to celebrate the World Day of the Poor on the Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time. Mother Theresa of Calcutta was summoned to the court on the charges of converting children to the Catholic faith. When she stood in the dock, the judge asked her if the charges were actual. She asked for a baby to be given to her. She held the baby in her arms and said, “This child I picked up from the dustbin; I don’t know to what religion this child belongs or what language it speaks... I give this child my love, time, care, and food, but the best thing I have in my life is faith in Jesus Christ. Can’t I give this child the best I have in my life?” The case was dismissed in favor of Mother Theresa.
Pope Francis says, “The hope of the poor will not perish forever” (Ps 9:19). These words of the Psalm remain timely. They express a profound truth that faith impresses above all on the hearts of the poor, restoring lost hope in the face of injustice, sufferings, and the uncertainties of life.”
The Eucharist is the perfect example of Jesus’ self-giving. Every Mass, Jesus shares with us His very life—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—and sends us out to be his flesh and blood for others. Let us make a promise that we will go out and courageously invest our God-given gifts to serve one another.
The last week of Ordinary time invites us to meditate on the last things – death, judgment, heaven, and hell. Every time we hear about it, we may perceive it negatively. Do you remember the movie 2012? The premise was that the world was going to come to an end in 2012. As Hollywood hoped, a significant number of people believed that there might be some truth to this. How many of us stopped for a moment and questioned or worried? Has anything happened so far? Today, if you look at our world, what do you think? We can hear about all kinds of divisions, violence, war, natural calamities, etc.
The readings 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. Prophet Daniel says that the archangel Michael is the guardian of God’s people. The prophet calls him God’s Prince. So, we just heard that when the final days come, Michael will gather God’s people together, including those who have died. And, the reading says, the wise will shine brightly.
The first reading prepares us for the Gospel reading (Mk 13:24-32). The message is “apocalyptic” in nature. The word “apocalypse” means unveiling or revelation. Jesus foretold his Ascension as well as his Second Coming. Jesus identifies himself with the royal figure from the book of Daniel 7:13&14. Jesus implies that he will be enthroned with the Father and receive a worldwide kingdom and everlasting dominion.
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. At the same time, Jesus says that no one knows when the last day will come. The sum of the reading is to be prepared: build our personal relationship with God and share with others the Good News of Jesus.
Our God is love. What do we do when we see all kinds of discouragement around us? We must focus on Jesus and build our relationship with him. Do you know how you can develop the relationship? First of all, by prayer – personal prayer and Mass – the highest form of prayer. Prayer, not just going through the motions, but entering into real intimacy. It won’t happen one day; we have to perceive it in prayer. Then, we have to share the good news with others. Every celebration of Mass is an invitation to become what we receive and to share with others – to become his flesh and blood for others.
Once, while St. Dominic Savio was playing, he was asked, “What would he do if he had only an hour left to live?” His answer was, “I would continue playing football.” What would be our answer?
In the second reading from the Hebrews (10:11-14; 18), Jesus offered himself for our sins. He offered himself to the Father on our behalf. The Old Testament high priests repeatedly offered sacrifices for the sins and sins of the people. We read in Hebrews (9:22&23), “According to the law, almost everything is purified by blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Therefore, it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified by these rites, but the heavenly things themselves by better sacrifices than these.” Christ did not simply prefigure the heavenly realities (Heb 9:24) by performing an annual sacrifice with blood not his own (Heb 9:25); he offered the single sacrifice of himself as the final annulment of sin (Heb 9:26).
Today’s readings can bring fear, but the reading ultimately tells us not to be afraid but to be filled with hope. Jesus won salvation for us through the sacrifice on the Cross. He continues to feed us in the Eucharist, nourishment for our journey. We need to focus on his love, and he did everything because of his love for us. He is going to do great things in and through us.