Sunday Reflection, November 19: A Glimpse of God’s Faithfulness

Scripture Readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/111906.shtml
Daniel 12: 1-3
Psalm 16
Hebrews 10: 11-14, 18
Mark 13: 24-32

Sometimes we need to be assured of the faithful support of those who care about us. We need some expression, however small, that they are thinking about us, that they are with us, even just with us in spirit. At moments of uncertainty and anxiety, when we are facing the intimidating exam or job interview or when everything seems to be going wrong in our lives, we need that phone call, note or word of encouragement from the people we love. I am blessed to have four older sisters who are very good at this faithful support; they are “pros” at this. They always seem to “come through in the clutch” – to offer that thoughtful expression of care and concern when I am most in need of it.

In November, before the end of the Church’s liturgical year and the beginning of Advent, we listen to Scripture readings that speak to us about the end times. The Gospels use vivid imagery to depict the coming of the Son of Man. Our liturgy asks us to reflect on the profession of faith that we make at the Eucharist: “Christ will come again.” We are reminded that each of us will meet the risen Lord Jesus, if not first at the end of time, certainly at the end of our own lives. These are difficult passages to listen to and understand. We usually do not like to think about these things. And these Scripture texts are filled with “spooky-sounding” stuff -- images and terms that seem strange to us: the darkening of sun and moon, stars falling from the sky.

All of this can be rather sobering, even somewhat dour. But it is important for us to remember that this message about the end of time was originally addressed to God’s people during times of suffering and confusion. It was meant to bring strength and encouragement to people of faith. The hope of God’s final, ultimate reign articulated in these Scriptures was meant to suffuse the lives of believers and to impel them toward faithfulness in their commitment to God and to one another. These were times in which it was difficult for them to believe that God was faithful to them. It seemed as if the powers of evil had the upper hand and there was no future for them. And so the author of the Book of Daniel and Mark the evangelist wrote at different times to reassure the people of God’s abiding fidelity even amidst great tribulation. And they wrote to convince these believers to remain faithful in living out their covenant relationship with God. They wanted to remind these communities that the God of life would have the final word in history and in their individual lives.

Sometimes it is difficult for us to recognize God’s fidelity in our lives. When we are struggling, when we feel as if we are walking alone through the darkness, it can be hard to perceive the presence of a faithful God. Often we need to cling tenaciously to faith, to our belief that God is indeed present even when we cannot feel his presence. We need to cling to our trust that God is always working from within, behind the scenes, to lead us, to strengthen us, to offer us life, even at times to carry us. In certain moments we are blessed enough to catch a glimpse of the faithfulness of God. God’s fidelity may appear to us when another person speaks just the right word to us at the right time. Or it may happen in a quiet moment alone, when we realize that we are not really alone at all but are embraced by the presence of the One who shows us a way through.

This week we will be gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving. This holiday is certainly one of the most appealing and less commercialized holidays on our civic calendar. The Scriptures tell us that a spirit of gratitude to God is more important than sacrifices and oblations. God’s face shines on a grateful heart. True gratitude takes us beyond ourselves toward others. It leads us out of our self-enclosed shells and moves us outward toward God and toward others in love and service. True gratitude is a movement of self-transcendence.

We certainly have much for which to be grateful in our lives. Perhaps in light of this Sunday’s Scripture readings, we might take some time to express our gratitude to God for his faithfulness to us. I believe that we would do well simply to thank God for his enduring fidelity. In this expression of gratitude, we will be reaffirming our trust in the God of life, the God whose love will conquer all. As we do that, we might also pray for the grace to be more faithful to God and to the people he has put into our lives. Since the Gospel reminds us that none of us knows the day or the hour when we will be called to meet the Lord, we need to ask for his grace to be faithful in the everyday.

The choice to be faithful is often clearer in crisis moments, whether it be in a marriage, a vocation to priesthood of religious life, a friendship, or another relationship. Perhaps it is the everyday fidelity to God and to others that is more of a challenge. This everyday fidelity requires the day-in, day-out effort to communicate with others, to be thoughtful, accepting and forgiving, to be willing to go the extra mile in service. This everyday faithfulness means resisting the subtle ways in which we put one another down, refusing to abandon the other person, even in the smaller matters of life. It is that everyday faithfulness that enables us to handle the crisis moments when they come.

In the Eucharist we proclaim, “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” The Eucharist is the abiding sign of Christ’s presence to us, the sacrament of his faithfulness to us. In the Eucharist we profess our trust that Christ is the One who always stands by us. May our celebration of the Eucharist strengthen us to become more faithful to Christ and to the people he has put into our lives.

Robin Ryan, CP