NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY

 THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

                                                                     Mark 13, 24-32

Rev. Fr. Valentine Desouza S.J.

 “But in those days, following that distress, “ ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generationwill certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father

NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY

José Antonio Pagola

Translated by Rev. Fr. Valentine Desouza S.J.

 Apocalyptic language, made up of images and symbolic resources, speaks of the end of the world. The best knowledge we have of it today, allows us to listen to the hopeful message of Jesus, without falling into the temptation of sowing anxiety and terror in consciences.

 One day the exciting history of the human race will come to an end. This is the firm conviction of Jesus. This too is what current science foresees. The world is not eternal. This life will end. What will become of our struggles and work, of our efforts and aspirations?

 Jesus speaks with restraint. He does not want to feed morbid curiosity. He cuts out at the root any attempt to speculate with calculations, dates or the hour. “No one knows the day or the hour, only the Father.” No collective frenzy before the end. The world is in good hands. The world is not heading towards chaos. We can trust in God, our creator and Father.

 Based on this total trust, Jesus shows his hope: creation as we know it will end, but it will be to make way for a new creation, that will have as its center the Risen Christ. Is it possible to believe something so magnificent? Can we speak like this before anything has happened?

 Jesus has recourse to images everyone can understand. One day the sun and the moon which today give light to the earth and make life possible, will shine no more. The world will remain in darkness. Will the history of humanity also be blotted out? Will our hopes end in this way?

 According to the version of Mark, in the middle of the night the “Son of man” will appear, that is, the Risen Christ, who will come “with great power and glory”. His saving light will illuminate everything. He will be the centre of a new world, the start of a humanity renewed forever.

 Jesus knows it is not easy to believe in his words. How can he prove things will happen as he says? With a surprising simplicity, he asks us to live life as a spring time. Everyone has experienced it: life that seemed dead during winter begins to awaken; in the branches of the fig tree little leaves begin to sprout. Everyone knows that summer is near.

 The life we now know is like spring. It is not possible to take in the harvest. We cannot obtain final achievements. But there are small signs of life in the making. Our efforts to bring about a better world will not be lost. No one knows the day, but Jesus will come. With his coming the ultimate mystery of reality we believers call God, will be revealed.

No one knows the day, but Jesus will come

Jose Antonio Pagola, vgentza@euskalnet.net , San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain.

English Translation by Valentine de Souza S.J. Mandal, Gujarat , India.394650