33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 18, 2012
One of the greatest sights in the world is found in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. There within the basilica is the Sistine Chapel. Here it is where the Holy Father has his private chapel and where the Cardinals come together to elect a new successor to St. Peter. Within this House of God is found some of the most stunning masterpieces of the painter Michelangelo. The ceiling is covered with frescos that literally retell creation history. Here we see Michelangelo’s depiction of the Creation, the Fall of Man, the Flood, and the prophets foretelling of the Messiah.
He was “cut to the heart” in discovering Christian captivesSt. Peter Nolasco was shocked and moved in finding Christians held captive and in danger of losing their faith. Read more about his heroic life and what he did about it on the website of the . (Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M. is the vocations director of the Order of Mercy.)
Visit the Mercedarians’
Arguably, the most famous of the paintings is the Last Judgment, which is found above the main altar. In the center of this awesome work of art is found Jesus Christ towering over creation holding up His right arm in judgment. Holy fear is striking all the people in the painting as Jesus brings final and absolute order to the chaos created by sin.
What to fear
The Liturgical Year of the Church is almost complete as the harvest season comes to an end. The leaves are falling, the crops come in, and the land becomes bleak. The Church, appropriately, calls to our minds at this time to the four last things: Judgment, Purgatory, Heaven, and Hell. In today’s Gospel, Jesus Himself tells us of the Second Coming and the Judgment.
In our world today, there is much talk about the end of time since some prophecy that the Mayan Calendar predicts will come in December 2012. Yet, Jesus says clearly that “no one knows the day or the hour…only the Father.” Are we to fear the end of time? No, we are not to have earthly fear or anxiety, which makes us, tremble. Instead, what is appropriate is the Fear of the Lord. This is a healthy respect for God and His laws.
Christ will order the chaos
The whole doctrine of the Last Judgment centers, like Michelangelo’s painting, on Jesus Christ. Jesus is the key to the ordering of the world. Why? Because He is the WORD which came forth from the mouth of the Father in Genesis and created all things. God created the world and all things, especially the human person, as “good.” Sin entered only with the Fall of Adam and Eve. The Lord had planned from the fullness of time to send His Son as the God Man to redeem the world. Jesus offered the one sacrifice for sin and ushered in a new period.
The Kingdom of God has begun, but it is also not yet. We experience the beginning of the Kingdom around us in so many ways: freedom from sin, the Sacraments, Grace, the holiness of the Saints, and, most especially, in the eternal life promised us in Baptism. The Risen Christ now dwells body and soul in heaven. He has lead Mary to His side, and we too are invited to join Christ, body and soul. All creation is “groaning” as it awaits the full redemption promised it by Christ. Jesus, who is God’s Word, created the world and all creation longs to be fulfilled by His Second Coming. Christ will order the chaos, by destroying sin and evil forever.
New heaven and earth
A new heaven and a new earth will be born. As it says in our first reading, “Many of those asleep in the dust of the earth shall awaken.” This means that all men and women will receive their bodies. Those who are just will receive a Resurrected Body, not unlike the Risen Christ. We also hear in today’s reading that, “…the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament…”
All truth will be revealed. It will no longer be difficult to discern the truth. The “thoughts of all will be laid bare” or known to everyone. All will clearly see those who are sincere and those who lived lives of serious sin. Some have separated themselves from God throughout their lives by choosing not to love and by serving other gods, especially the god of self. They will be revealed as they always were. It is not so much Jesus who has condemned them as they who chose long ago to separate themselves from God. To live for all eternity with God would be torture for them. So Jesus, in His mercy, grants them what they want, separation from He who is Love.
God’s work of art
Michelangelo’s masterpiece wasn’t finished for 33 years after much struggle and hard work. Imagine if the Sistine Chapel was left unfinished. It is unlikely that so many millions of pilgrims would come from all over the world to see it. Works of art are meant to be finished. We are God’s work of art! We and all of creation were created to glorify Him. The Kingdom of God has already begun with the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. It will not be complete until the just are united with Him body and soul for all eternity. Then and only then will the masterpiece be complete! And what a work of art it will be!!
Read all of Fr. Joseph’s sermons.