Dear friends:

The Lord tells us in today’s gospel: Heaven and Earth will pass away but my words will not pass away” (Mk 13:31).  We constantly experience the fact that everything passes away.  The month of November recalls this in a special way, beginning with the Solemnity of All Saints and the commemoration of All Souls.  Also the liturgical year nears it’s end.  This Sunday is the last but one Sunday of the Liturgical year.  This coming Sunday we shall celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, whose words will never pass away.  “Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever.”(Heb13:8). He is the Alpha and Omega………..who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:8)  He is the same forever and his words will never disappear.

Speaking of His second coming Jesus says, “But about that day or hour, no one knows, neither the Angels in heaven nor the Son but only the Father.” (Mk 13:32).  We do know that the world will come to end.  We also know that our life will come to an end one day.  But we do not know when we will die.  We can do nothing to avoid death.  But we can avoid an unprepared death.  All of us will have to meet Jesus one day. For, he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. If we meet him while we are on earth and confess our sins to him, He will be merciful to us when we shall again meet him after death.

I am reminded of a story.  One day two men found themselves in the same train, going to London.  One of them was a grey-haired and thoughtful man.  The other was a young, restless, worried man.  The elderly man spoke to the young man: “I feel that you are all worried can I help you in any way?” The latter replied: I am in trouble.  The police are after me.  It all happened in this way.  I joined my two fellow workers and attempted to break into a house and steal.  The watch man gave the alarm.  He was shot by one of my fellow workers.  They were caught.  I managed to escape.  They of course said that it was I who shot the watch man.  I am going to London to hide somewhere. The old man spoke to him kindly.  He told him to surrender himself to the police.  Tell them the whole story as you have told it to me. The young man replied: But you are so understanding towards me, I shall follow your advice. He surrender himself to the police.  He was later brought before the judge.  He looked up.  The judge was the same old man whom he met on the train going to London.  It was easy to tell his story again.  He was acquitted of murder.  He had to pay a little for attempted robbery.

Let us meet Jesus in the sacrament of reconciliation and tell him our sins.  Christ, then on the last day of your life, will acquit us and accommodate us in his kingdom

Fr. Chris