“In the days after that tribulation…”; “A time unsurpassed in distress!” You might perceive the readings today have a very prophetic message about a time coming filled with disasters. Technically, the message is not prophetic but apocalyptic, which is what the type of scripture we call prophecy grew into. Twelve years ago, the day after Hurricane Sandy hit New York, the "New York Daily News" had a front-page spread picturing the hundred homes at Breezy Point in Queens destroyed by fire during the storm. The headline read, "Apocalypse New York." Another Apocalypse descended on Paradise, California in 2018, when the whole town was destroyed by a catastrophic wildfire. There is a saying that all politics is local. Well, all Apocalypses are local too.

During the Covid pandemic days and recent election days, in our times of global warming and violent weather incidents, a lot of people have been talking about the end times – dates, times and portents. After all, disasters big and small, happen all the time. "Apocalypse" is derived from the Greek, "to lift a veil." When we do "lift a veil" that is covering something, we discover and can see what was hidden, and that’s what some believe about apocalyptical writings. This kind of literature is filled with mysterious signs, extravagant language, visions, cosmic events and descriptions of destruction. People have interpreted readings like these in many different ways. There was Harold Camping, a Christian radio broadcaster, author and evangelist who said the world would end on October 21, 2011. It didn’t. That was harmless enough. But there was one strange sect whose members wanted to work at the nuclear labs in Los Alamos. They figured they would work to hasten the end of the world by helping develop the nuclear weapons to do the job! Others, of a similar fundamentalist mind set are working in Israel to promote the building of a Third Temple, in order to start a cataclysmic war between civilizations and nuclear powers. Some others have ridiculed and obstructed attempts to protect the environment since they doubt there would be future generations to enjoy it – because "the end is coming soon!"

These are just some of the extreme responses to what some believe is the message of apocalyptical passages like the ones we just heard. One big downside of a fundamentalist interpretation of these scriptures is a distrust of any human efforts to bring about peace and unity among people. Those who buy into it have a hands-off attitude, convinced that God will soon bring about an end to all human efforts and accomplishments. They think Jesus will miraculously intervene to rescue a chosen few and destroy everybody else. We in the Church, on the other hand, express faith and hope as we pray and work to bring about good in the world. We know God works with and through our efforts to live our lives according to His direction, to what is called the kingdom of God, the way that Jesus proclaimed in the Gospels. We look forward to a new world with God as its center. So with that vision we are committed to cooperate with God’s loving plan for humanity revealed to us by Jesus.

Apocalyptical literature is not about predicting future events, nor does it contain secrets that only certain insiders can interpret. God isn’t playing games with us, hiding vital information for just a few chosen ones. Rather, this kind of Biblical literature gives us insights into the times it was written and a vision for our present days. The Book of Revelation and other apocalyptical literature do reveal times of great distress and persecution for believers. And we know such times do and will happen. The Christian martyrs, the innocent women and children of Gaza, and victims of the Holocaust show us that. But after all that, the bottom line is a message of real hope. God is not oblivious or indifferent to people in their troubles. God’s goodness will triumph, despite any present appearances. Whatever happens in the future, God is trustworthy and all who believe can draw strength, courage and patience from the message we hear in His word.

This Gospel we just heard is from a section of Mark’s Gospel called the “little apocalypse” to distinguish it from the final book of the New Testament. In this passage Jesus is coming close to the end of his public ministry. He can sense the forces gathering against him and his fragile band of followers. He has been predicting his passion and death. But like us, Jesus is human. When someone prepares for impending death they pay attention and attend to those they love. If we sense the end is near, we try to say our farewells, things we may have wanted to say but never got around to. And of course one day we each will face our own personal apocalypse, our own death and judgement. Even without an impending crisis like that, you know your parents are aware of their responsibility to advise and guide you for your future. They try to prepare you for the possible difficulties life will throw at you. Surely you have experienced that, even if you roll your eyes sometimes at your parents. So, Saint Mark wrote his Gospel for the people of his time who had experienced an apocalypse of their own. Their beloved Jerusalem and its sacred Temple had been destroyed. Fanatics in his own community were talking about the imminent end of the world. Their world was shifting, and Mark needed to convey to the church Jesus’ predictions, warnings and, most of all, his reassurance to help them persevere in their faith and sustain them in hope. In our own times we face our own trials and tests as we live out our lives as Christians or believers in any faith. Our commitment to Christ or belief in God can cause us discomfort and even suffering. Some people will mock us, call us ignorant or superstitious. This Gospel encourages us to remain strong and faithful during such times and assures us that Jesus will be revealed one day as the real King and Lord of all creation. Those who keep faith will come to a final vindication and victory of all we trusted in, but did not yet see in our lifetimes. There will be a final confrontation of good versus evil, and good will win. The kinds of disasters pictured by apocalyptic writing should arouse in us the awareness that we are part of a larger Body, and there are others in that Body who are suffering in ways we can only imagine. In our world, in our nation there are people in great distress right now, today. The question then becomes: "Am I doing anything to add to the suffering of others, or not doing what I can to alleviate that suffering?"

Abbot Michael Brunner

Finally, the Church’s calendar places these readings just before the last day of the Church year and just before Advent and Christmas. And it’s just before the end of the fall term and the judgment of exams and grades. It's a time of endings, and new beginnings. It’s also a time of thanksgiving for the good things and blessings God has provided for us through the people in our lives. Jesus said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Those words, or teachings, give us a way of living that embraces actions of peace and community and love. As we look to Jesus as savior, we should remember the Incarnation: God becoming human, that it is not a one-time event of long ago. It is not limited but embraces all creation and all time. Jesus is here in this Church today, in the Eucharist and in us. Today the Holy Spirit gives life to the Body of Christ, to us. We are the "Divine Intervention", the ones to relieve and heal the pain of others in the world today. We look to Jesus, who will "come again." Jesus who continues to suffer and die in his people, His Mystical Body, will raise us up too.

There is hope. There is resurrection. There is new life. That is the Gospel, the Good News. As Jesus says in another part of the Gospel, “Let those who have ears to hear, hear.” Let those people be us. Let those people include you. May you have success in your exams, a safe trip home, a happy holiday, and may you return refreshed for the winter term.

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