Fr Antonio Pineda
ome buildings are so mighty looking that they seem to be a monument to the future. And yet, we know from what happened to the World Trade Centre Towers in New York on 11 September 2001 that even things that seem mighty and enduring will not last. Whether it is through the evil choices of others or through the passage of time, things of this world will not last. Even the current UN climate summit COP27 is full of doom and gloom.
When tragedy strikes, we naturally look for answers. Is this a sign of the end of the world? Is it true that evil is getting the upper hand in our world? When the people of Jesus’ time sought some reassurance from him about their future, he gave them one simple response: live faithfully now and you will be prepared for whatever the future brings.
Faithfulness equals persevering. To do anything faithfully we must be willing to stick with it through the good and the bad, the easy and the difficult. Living daily life in a faithful way means that we choose to embrace whatever comes our way. It is that faithfulness that will prepare us for whatever comes.
When we ask for a crystal ball that tells us what lies ahead, we perpetuate a myth about life: “If I only knew what was coming, I could handle it”. It is this kind of concern for the future that keeps us from preparing for the future by living the present. Many believe that if they knew the time and the day of future occurrences, they would be able to make themselves strong for the time. But all that attitude leads to is that we spend their lives looking over our shoulders, afraid of what is to come.
Jesus is clear and consistent about the future. He says that it will include the good and the bad. We will have suffering and gladness. We will feel extremely full and blessed as well as empty and abandoned. Jesus is also clear that we will not be able to predict any more than that. It is natural to fear, but He also gives us the antidote to fear: faith.
In a world that feels increasingly troubled and uncertain, this Sunday’s Gospel calls us to live the present moment in faithfulness and love. This is all the training and preparation we need for the future. Only if we live now will we be ready for whatever the future brings. Our perseverance in faith—to God and one another—is our insurance policy.
Are we living today rather than waiting for the “right time” in the future to forgive, or share, or initiate, or understand? Why are we waiting? Do we really think that God only cares about what we do in the last moments of our lives? In scary and difficult times, are you a person who stays or flees? When relationships get difficult, are you the kind of person who is a clear sign of Jesus’ presence, or are you a “fair weather” disciple?
These truly are trying times. What is being tried is not God’s promise or God’s power. What is being tried is our willingness to be who we profess to be. Can we be a sign of hope in these times? Can we hope, not in the signs of worldly power and force, but in the signs of faithfulness and love?
Perseverance with hope is what secures our future, not anxious living.