St. Mary's Catholic Church of Tomahawk, WI

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We are on the thirty third Sunday of the year. In the first reading we hear of God’s justice and the reward of those who remain faithful to him until the end. It contains references to the resurrection of the dead as well as the final judgement and afterlife. We find reference to Michael, the archangel of God, who is Israel’s guardian and ours as well. If we hope in a future life and remain faithful to God in this life, we will be accorded glory with the angels of God in heaven, which is divine justice.

The second reading tells us about the purpose of the priesthood of Christ. Since His priesthood is perfect and permanent there is no need of daily animal sacrifices which negates the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is the lamb of God who spilled His blood to take away the sins of the world, as He is both king and priest. The resurrection of our Lord has brought us back into a proper relationship with God. Therefore, how do we wish to share with others meaningfully our baptismal vocation into the priestly life of Christ?

The Gospel extends the theme of cosmic upheaval. There are several possibilities for what brings about this cosmic upheaval. It could represent the fall of Jerusalem or point towards Jesus’ passion and death on the cross, or it could be a result of the arrival of the end times. As the Lord refers to learning from the fig tree, this could explain that one should pay attention to the signs all around so as not to be caught off guard when the day/hour arrives. Are we aware of the changes of the times and understand the signs of God? Are we prepared for that day/hour? What do we try to contribute towards our personal and the collective transformation?

Fr. Aloysius Royan Anthony