Homily of His Excellency Msgr Selim Sfeir Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?’”
Christ told us that only the Father knows when the end of time will occur. By some hidden and mysterious arrangement in the Blessed Trinity, even the Sacred Humanity of our Lord did not know when the world would end. So, if someone comes up to you and tells you when the world will end, ignore them, for not even Jesus Christ knew the hour or the day of the end of the world.
This world will end, this much we know, but we are forbidden to be anxious about that day “and the fearful signs of your second coming” (Anaphora of Saint Sixtus). The events of the future, described in the Gospel of this Sunday certainly do strike fear into our hearts, but we should console ourselves by trusting that what God has in mind for the faithful who die in the state of grace is something more wonderful than any of us can possibly imagine.
In the Gospels, Christ continually urges vigilance, as we do not know when death will call us or when He will return at the end of time. There is no time to be lax or apathetic about our eternal destiny. We must seek holiness and model our lives after Christ, in love and service of God and one another.
The uncertainty of the hour of Christ’s return reaffirms that we must be prepared to meet Him at any time — whether at his second coming or at our own death.
Better that we live this present moment, responding to His call, living in His Grace, choosing the path of love and holiness over the path of greed, selfishness, and sin.
Prayer
O Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end, grant that I may live this present moment so as to be found worthy to rejoice in your eternal blessings forever.
+ Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus