Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
~ We have witnessed so much in the past few years—and even the past few weeks. We see devastating natural disasters, like earthquakes and floods, that feel more frequent and intense. We see intractable conflicts and wars that bring nations to the brink, and the polarization and anger seem to leak from our screens into our own communities. And of course, there are the persistent, overwhelming problems like deep poverty, from places like Haiti to our own neighborhoods, and thousands who still suffer from hunger.
It’s a lot. It’s overwhelming. It can make us feel small, anxious, and deeply fearful.
And then we come to Mass, and we hear a Gospel with what sound like terrifying predictions—signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars; nations in agony, people “dying of fright.” It’s tempting to look at the 24-hour news cycle, to look at the division, and think, “This is it. These are the signs. The end is near.”
Some people will always try to convince us that this is the moment, that Jesus is about to return. But our faith and our Lord are clear: no one knows the day or the hour, except the Father.
The “end time” will come, yes. But for people of faith—for those of us who keep our focus on Jesus—the message is not one of terror, but one of promise. Jesus tells us—he promises us—that if we keep the faith, if we persevere, “not a hair on your heads will be harmed” and our lives will be secure.
So, whether we are preparing for the day Jesus returns or just preparing to face another difficult week, the command from Christ is the same: Do not be afraid.
Fear is the real poison. Fear is what paralyzes us. Fear is what dissuades us from focusing on what is most important. It’s what makes us turn inward, build walls, and see our neighbor as an “other” or an enemy instead of a sibling.
The world, as we know it, will one day pass away. But Jesus promises, over and over, that he will be there for us. If we stay connected to Him, He will get us through anything. In a world where it is so difficult to rely on anything, Jesus promises, “I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:20). We can trust Jesus.
So, what are we to do today?
In one of his letters, St. Paul gets very practical. He tells the people to stop being “busybodies,” to stop getting wrapped up in idleness and drama, and to “work quietly.”
What a challenge for us today. For us, “working quietly” might be the challenge to stop doom-scrolling. To stop getting drawn into every online argument. It’s a call to log off the drama and log into the real life happening right in front of us.
St. Francis of Assisi said much the same thing, just more poetically: “Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received… but only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”
This is our work. Instead of being paralyzed by fear of what we can’t control, we are called to give with a full heart in the things we can.
We know how to do this. We teach our children that they have a role to play, something to give back. And not just chores. We mean being present to each other. This is the challenge for all of us.
It means putting the phone down—all the way down—when a brother, sister, or friend needs our eyes, not just our ears. It means choosing the uncomfortable, present-moment conversation over the easy, digital distraction.
It means finding those opportunities for service, love, and sacrifice. We know our own lives. We see the chances to make the world better, right around us.
We can get our hands busy in our own community, at Isaiah 58, or with Saint Vincent de Paul, or Pius V. We can look beyond our borders, to the persistent needs in places like Haiti, Jamaica or Ukraine.
But it also happens in the small things that we think no one notices.
- Spending time with someone who seems down.
- Thanking a clerk or that nameless person working in the dining hall.
- Visiting someone who is lonely.
- Being friendly to someone when it would be easier to just keep our headphones in.
- Giving a direct, kind response instead of a distracted grunt or a one-word text.
I can go on, but we all know these things. We all know what we can do, and what we need to do, in our own lives.
This is how we fill our hearts. This is how we push back against the fear. When our time comes, this is what we take with us: that “full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”
And best of all, we do not do this alone. Jesus is always with us, to help and encourage us, and to get us through anything.