(First Sunday of Advent (C): This homily was given on November 30, 1997 at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I. by Fr. Raymond Suriani. Read Luke 21: 5-36.)

"The end of THE world; the end of A world."

Today’s gospel reading probably sounded familiar. That’s because it’s very similar to the gospel text from Mark that we heard two short weeks ago. This is St. Luke’s version of the very same event from the life of Jesus. I suppose that if Yogi Berra were here, the ex-New York Yankee baseball player would say, "Fr. Ray, it’s deja vu all over again!" And so it is. But, fear not, I won’t give the same homily today that I gave two weeks ago. You won’t have to suffer through that one a second time! This morning I’ll be happy to provide you with a brand new experience of pain. . . .

Jesus, in this section from Luke 21, is obviously speaking about the end of the world; but in the verses just prior to this our Lord predicts the destruction of the city of Jerusalem: something which would take place in 70 A.D.--some 40 years after his death and resurrection. And he makes a direct connection between these two events, saying, in effect, "If you want to know what it will be like at the end of time, pay very close attention in 40 years when the Romans decimate this city and tear down this beautiful Temple. That’s what it will be like." So here our Lord makes an important comparison--he compares the end of the world to the end of a world. You see, a world was about to end for the people of Jerusalem: a world in which they were able to worship God freely in his sacred dwelling place. That world would come to an end--a very abrupt end--when Titus and the Roman army set fire to the Temple and tore it down. The thought occurred to me earlier this week: we have this same type of experience in our lives all the time. Just as the people of Jerusalem experienced the end of a world when their Temple was destroyed, so too for us "worlds" come to an end constantly. Sometimes the end of a world will take the form of a tragedy that comes our way; at other times it will take the form of a great blessing. For example, those of you who will graduate from high school or college next spring will experience the end of a world on the day you get your diploma--the end of your world in that particular school. The day someone gets married is the day they experience the end of a world--the end of a life lived as a single person. (Some, of course, might look back on their wedding day and say it was the end of the world--but that’s another story!) When you have a child, it’s the end of a world. Every once in a while I’ll hear a parent say, "You know, once you have a child, everything is different. Your world changes." True. And if you have 7 babies at once like the McCaugheys in Iowa, then it changes a lot! Among other things, that’s the end of a world of peace and quiet!

Or how about when a person is diagnosed with a serious illness? That is certainly the end of a world--the end of a world of good health. I remember my mom saying, "Once you’re diagnosed with cancer, your life changes; your perspective on everything changes!" And what about the death of a loved one? We’ve had five funerals here at St. Pius in the last week. Those five families have all experienced the end of a world, in losing somebody close to them.

I think it should be clear by now: the end of a world signifies any major change that we experience on this earth; and since we all experience changes constantly, worlds end for us constantly.

So what’s the best way to deal with the end of a world? What’s the best way, in other words, to prepare for the major changes of life? Well, believe it or not, the answer is found in today’s gospel text about the end of the world. Jesus implies here that at the end of time there will be two groups of people: those who will be filled with fear, and those who will hold their heads high--that is to say, those who will be filled with faith. (I don’t have to tell you which group I’d like to be in.) Then our Lord adds, "Be on guard lest your spirits become bloated with indulgence and drunkenness and worldly cares. The great day will suddenly close in on you like a trap." So here we see what separates the fearful from the rest: On Judgment Day, the fearful people will be those who have lived lives of self-indulgence and sin and haven’t repented. The Day of the Lord will close in on them like a trap. But those who have taken their faith seriously will be able to hold their heads high. And so Jesus says, "Be on guard." This, by the way, is why the Church encourages us to examine our consciences daily and to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation often.

Basically our Lord is telling us here that the best way to be ready for the end of the world is to live in faith--to make our Catholic Christian faith the NUMBER ONE PRIORITY! But that’s also what we need to do to prepare ourselves for the major changes of life! In this regard, have you noticed how well the McCaugheys are handling the birth of their septuplets? Some people have expressed amazement at how upbeat and positive they are. They’ve said, "Do these people realize what they’re in for? Seven mouths to feed; seven babies to clothe; 7 diapers to change (at once); 7 college tuition bills in 18 years! How can they have such a positive perspective on it all?" Personally, I’m not at all surprised at how well they’re handling things. You see, Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey are not Catholic, but they are committed Christians who take their faith very seriously. They’ve made that fact very clear to the world in the last several days--their faith and their church are their sources of strength in this joyous, but stressful, situation. So it’s true--in a certain sense the birth of seven children signals the end of a world for them and their family: everything will now be different--very different. But through their faith, they know they’ll have what they need to deal with it. And so, as Kenny McCaughey said the other day, "It’s all a blessing from God."