With everything going on in the world, a lot of people are asking if this is the “Apocalypse” as in the “end of the world.” This question is inspired by both the Book of Revelation and Jesus’ own words in the Gospels shortly after he arrives in Jerusalem (e.g., Matthew 24). We’ve been moving through a global pandemic, and have witnessed police brutality, riots, toppling of statues, etc.; there are many various contradictory news sources that seem to be ever more polarized and harder to know what to believe, like many “false prophets” that Jesus refers to will come. It can seem some days that the world is unraveling and we’re living in the midst of chaos that it’s no wonder some have looked at these “Apocalyptic texts” in our Scriptures and have concluded that this is it! This is the end! And, of course, some go so far as to calculate when the exact end of the world will be. In our own American history, there have been several movements/denominations of Christianity that have sprung up that read these texts as such (For example, the Seventh Day Adventists).

But Jesus’ driving message in these Apocalyptic texts is PREPARE, not to predict! And I don’t mean prepare such as “doomsday preppers” who have their hidden stocked underground bunkers. I mean to spiritually prepare; that when trials and tribulations come that we must always pray and persevere and look to God, turn to Him again and again. To be vigilant! There have been several “Apocalyptic moments” throughout history, when the world seemed to fall into chaos, and on the verge of utter self-destruction. But we may experience several “Apocalyptic moments” even in our own personal lives when our world as we know seems to collapse around us into utter chaos!

So will the world end tomorrow? …Maybe… or it could yet be several more millennia. But whether it’s the end of the whole world, or the end of my personal world as I know it, or the end of my time here on earth, the driving message of Jesus is the same: pray and persevere and ultimately look to God, Savior Jesus Christ! Because He is the conqueror of Chaos, holds Dominion over Death, and is the Savior. So it’s to Him that we look, we watch, for Him we remain vigilant. That at whatever end we experience, whatever death and chaos we’re thrown into, He is always standing there with us, at the end of it all, ready to save us, the One who wipes away every tear and who says to us, “Behold, I make all things new!” (Rev. 21:4-5)
Peace,
-Fr. Kevin
PS: A reminder that you can always go back and watch past Masses as well as listen to my audio-recorded here: Live Stream Mass – Homilies