A New Year's Resolution

By: Derek Pillie

Luke 22: 25-28, 34-36 (St. Joseph Edition):

There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because you redemption is at hand. Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and that anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.

This parable connects the two segments of the Gospel so that the reader understands that he or she must remain vigilant to not only see the signs of the Lord's coming, but also to keep faithful to the Word of God.

As I left mass and began to reflect on the readings, the first two songs I heard over the radio were Bon Jovi's It's My Life and Chubawumba's Tubthumping. If one is not familiar with these songs the relevant lyrics are in It's My Life, "This is for those that stood their ground;" and in Tubthumping, "I get knocked down, but I get up again because you're never going to keep me down." These lyrics reinforce Jesus' message in the Gospel in that we need to hold our heads up high because these signs can come at any time and we need to be prepared. This Gospel reading may seem familiar to those who have seen The Shawshank Redeption because a passage from one of the other books of the Gospel that recount this time is used in the movie. The warden is searching an inmate's cell and finds him reading the Bible. When the warden, a deeply religous man, asks the inmate if he has a favorite verse. The inmate, played by Tim Robbins, replies, "Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming" (Mark 13: 35). However, we now know that no matter when the Lord comes, as long as we are prepared, we will know the signs of the coming and be collected.

The new Church year begins with a Gospel reading that may seem more suited to signify an ending rather than a beginning. In the week's Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples of the time that is to come, when the Son of Man returns to reclaim his faithful. However, Jesus also provides instructions to his disciples to prepare for this time so that they and his followers will be ready when the time comes. A question that an independent reader may be left with is which part of the Gospel should I give more weight too - the warnings or the instructions?

One thing that I have learned in my short time on this Earth has been that there is no unimportant aspect of a Gospel reading. The interesting thing about this reading is that it skips the parable of the fig tree, where Jesus connects the two halves. The parable is found in Luke 21: 29-33:

(Jesus) taught them a lesson. "Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happeneing, know that the kingdom of God is near. 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."

Another note about the other readings leads to how those in the political world can apply this Gospel to our lives. In the readings of both Matthew and Mark there is no verse that resembles "But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because you redemption is at hand" (Luke 22: 28). While it is not out of the ordinary to find passages in one Gospel that are not reflected in another, I find this verse to be the most instructive in all the readings for this lesson. Jesus exhorts us to hold our heads up high, to not let our backs buckle under the stress and pressure that these signs of his coming may generate.

Anyone involved in politics makes a conscious decision that they are going to emmerse themselves in one stressful situation after another. This stress may not come of their actoins, but of independent actions or events that create stress for that person. One involved in health care or construction or legal work encounter the same stress and generally our ability to succeed in our respective fields depends a great deal on how we manage this stress.

What Jesus does is prepares us for the events that are to come and gives us a pep talk. In Matthew and Mark both, Jesus tells his followers that the Son of Man will reclaim those faithful to his word at this time; in Luke he tells us redemption is at hand. No matter what Gospel you read, the message is clear - keep faithful to the word so that I can bring you with me when I return. In a profession results in so many ethical questions and scandals, we must work that much harder so that we are ready for His return. In Matthew, immediately after he gives the signs to his followers, he says the Son of Man will do the following:

...(C)ome you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foudation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous will answer him and say, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison and visit you?" And the king will say to them in reply, "Amen, I say to you, what ever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25: 34-40)

Many of us come into contact with these very people that Jesus speaks of on a daily basis. They are looking for help, guidance, assistance or simply acknowledgement of their problem. It is important that we do not judge those that come before us but do our best to assist them to obtain the outcome they seek as far as it is in our power. Being a good Christian does not mean that one must legislate heaven on Earth, but it does mean treating those that come to our door with courtesy and respect. What makes this reading so appropriate is that it helps us make a new year's resolution for ourselves, to remember that every person that is looking for a job or thinks that the Veterans Administration is trying to screw him over or must speak to your boss because they have an urgent problem is not trying to make your life difficult, but is trying to seek relief from their troubles. It is more appropriate that we make our resolution for the new Chruch year, rather than the calendar year, because we are trying to improve ourselves, to better live God's word, through our resolution. While it may not be our job to provide that relief, we can do as much as it is in our power to accomodate them. We can not save the world, but we can make the life of one of God's creatures just a bit more comfortable, and that can make all the difference as we seek to, "have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

As always, your feedback is appreciated. Please send me a comment with your thoughts on this paper!

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