The Lord’s response to questions about the end times, invites us to reflect on how we will prepare for our own exit from this world.
Mass Readings – 33rd Sunday of the Year
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Tag Archives: End Times
33rd Sunday of the Year: Living each day as if it were our last. Catholic Inspiration
Daily Mass: Life is uncertain; let us take every opportunity to put love into practice!
The exhortation of the first reading to love one another serves as a ready reminder for daily life. For as the Lord cautions in the Gospel of Luke, the Son of Man will come at an unexpected time. May we take every opportunity to put love into practice!
Mass Readings – Friday of the 32nd Week of the Year
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St. Martin of Tours, pray for us!
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Study, Pray, Serve: 33rd Sunday of the Year
Here are some of the themes in the readings for the 33rd Sunday of the Year.
1st Reading – Malachi 3:19-20a
- A day comes when evildoers will be like stubble set on fire, and nothing will remain.
- Those who fear the Lord’s name, however, will be arise in the light of the sun.
Psalm – 98:5-9
- “The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.”
- We praise and sing before the one who rules the earth.
2nd Reading – 2nd Thessalonians 3:7-12
- Paul offers his own example as a model for the Christian community.
- “If anyone was unwilling to work, that one should not eat.”
Gospel – Luke 21:5-19
- Jesus speaks about the destruction of the Temple, as well as signs and plagues among the nations.
- The Lord also says that his followers will be persecuted, exhorting them to persevere.
Mass Readings – 33rd Sunday of the Year
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Study, Pray, Serve: Christ the King
Let’s take a look at some of the main themes from the readings for the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe.
1st Reading – Daniel 7:13-14
- The Son of Man comes before the Ancient One to receive dominion, glory and kingship.
- His kingship shall not be destroyed, and all peoples, nations and languages serve him.
Psalm – 93:1-2,5
- “The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.”
- The Lord’s splendor and throne is everlasting; his decrees are worthy of trust.
2nd Reading – Revelation 1:5-8
- Christ, the faithful witness and firstborn of the dead, loves us and has freed us by his blood.
- The Lord, who is the Alpha and the Omega, comes with God’s might amid the clouds.
Gospel – John 18:33b-37
- Pilate questions Jesus to see if he is the King of the Jews.
- Jesus claims his kingship does not belong to this world, but yes! He is a king!
Mass Readings – The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe
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Study, Pray, Serve: 33rd Sunday of the Year
Here are some of the central themes in the readings for the 33rd Sunday of the Year.
1st Reading – Daniel 12:1-3
- Michael the great prince and guardian of the people shall arise.
- During this time of upheaval there will be an accounting for the good and the bad.
Psalm – 16:5,8-11
- “You are my inheritance, O Lord!”
- We rejoice in the Lord who does not abandon us, but shows us the path to life.
2nd Reading – Hebrews 10:11-14,18
- Jesus Christ offers one sacrifice for sins and takes his place at the right hand of God.
- Compared with the sacrifice of the Levitical priests, Christ’s perfect offering makes possible our forgiveness.
Gospel – Mark 13:24-32
- Jesus teaches about the end times where there will be tribulation and judgment.
- The Lord uses the example of a fig tree to teach the disciples how to read the sign of the times.
Mass Readings – 33rd Sunday of the Year
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Daily Mass: The new heaven and earth. Catholic Inspiration
The first reading from the Book of Revelation sums up the end time with judgment and the fullness of God’s glory.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 34th Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: The sobering reality of final judgment. Catholic Inspiration
Our faith clearly acknowledges that there will be a final judgment, and while this reality can bring a grim awareness of our sins, it can also serve as an inspiration to take hold of the gift of today and live our faith with conviction.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 34th Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: Facing deception and fear. Catholic Inspiration
The Lord urges the people to not be led by deception and fear. Instead, we face these obstacles with the grace that comes God.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 34th Week of the Year
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33rd Sunday of the Year: Be prepared, for we do not know about tomorrow
Study: Recall a couple of times in your life – when you were prepared and when you were caught off guard. How did if feel? What was the outcome?
Pray: Do you have unfinished business in your life? Take your challenges to prayer and ask the Lord for wisdom and courage.
Serve: Is there a broken or wounded relationship in your life? Perhaps you might make the first move to bring healing and reconciliation to the situation.
Mass Readings – 33rd Sunday of the Year
The first reading and the Gospel today are direct and to the point: there will be hardship and distress. Tribulation is part of the journey. Get ready!
And yet we can sometimes get caught in the (mistaken) sentiment that because we follow Jesus Christ everything is suppose to be sunshine and daisies. On the contrary – our faith puts struggle front and center, reminding us that we are called to be ready and prepared for the unexpected. Because just in case you were hoping for some secret sign from the Bible when the world will end, Jesus offers one of my all-time favorite lines of Sacred Scripture:
“But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32)
No one knows the hour….this is a very big deal. Remember these points:
- Difficulty, hardship, tribulation, and suffering are part of life.
- The unexpected happens! Deal with it.
- And we do not know the hour when our lives will be over…
So how do we live? The answer is simple – TODAY we speak and act so that if the Lord called us right now we would be ready. TODAY we say:
- “I’m sorry.”
- “I forgive you.”
- “I love you.”
- “Can I help you?”
- “Can you help me?”
We live our lives one day at a time – we can’t go back and we can’t go forward – it is only in the present moment that we can do and say. Thus, if we stay shackled to the past we can’t live today, and if we keep putting off what is needed we are wasting the moment we have. TODAY is our opportunity to address any unfinished business, to right wrongs and tell the people in our lives how we feel about them. In other words, today we squeeze out every opportunity we have to love the Lord and one another…
…for of that day or hour, no one knows.
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Note: This post was first published on November 9, 2015.
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Daily Mass: When will it end? Catholic Inspiration
“When will it end?” This common question has been with humanity since the dawn of time. When people ask Jesus, the Lord responds with two simple points of common sense:
- Do not be deceived
- Do not be afraid
Thus, we live each day as the precious gift it is, ready at a moment’s notice to step from this life to the next.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 34th Week of the Year
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