Reflection for Sunday November 14, Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mark 13:24-32

Gospel: Mark 13:24-32

Jesus said to his disciples: "In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

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Reflection:

A rich man in dire straits was contemplating of ending his own life. Yes he had material wealth and could practically buy everything that he wants. But there was still a deep void within him and he was yearning for something that would give meaning to his life.

Have you been through this kind of experience wherein you yearn for something meaningful in your life? You yearn for meaning because you can’t find relevance in your present life in this world anymore? We all go through this period of emptiness in our lives as if this is already our own version of end times experience.   

What should we do when we walk through this experience of spiritual barrenness? When everything before us seems dark and hopeless?  We have to look up to the man on the cross for our salvation and deliverance. We have to ask Jesus to fill our barren and empty lives and we have to ask Him to give our lives substance and meaning.

Many of us think that the meaning of life can be found in the things of this world: Wealth, Power and all the pre-occupations that we have. We think that these are the be-all and end-all of life. But the things of this world are not the be-all and end-all of life these are all meaningless unless our lives are centered on God. Why? Because God is the true be-all and end-all of life. 

If our lives are centered on God we have nothing to fear even the end times we would not fear. – Marino J. Dasmarinas