Thirty-third Sunday in OT ‘B’

Today's readings offer us the comfort and assurance that God is with us every day, always guiding, protecting, and strengthening us. Despite the uncertainty about the “end times” when “Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,” we are reminded that we are not alone; the Holy Spirit is in our midst.

Around this time each year, the Church invites us to reflect on the “last things” – Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell – and how they apply to our personal journeys.

The readings encourage us to focus on the threefold coming of Jesus:
1. His first coming in the flesh, as our Redeemer.
2. His second coming, whether at our own death or at the end of time, bringing our salvation to completion.
3. His presence in our lives every time we embody true Christian living.

In the First Reading from the Prophet Daniel (circa 167 BC) we have the vision of the archangel Michael originally aimed to bring hope to the Jewish people persecuted by a brutal pagan king. The Letter to the Hebrews offers consolation to believers anxious about the end times, reassuring them that Jesus, Who sits at God’s right hand, is our mediator. Through His sacrifice, He forgave our sins and sanctified us.

Today's Gospel from Mark provided hope to early Christians persecuted by the Roman Emperor Nero, reminding them of Jesus’ promise of His glorious return with great power to reward His followers. Daniel and Mark remind us that God ensures the righteous will endure and find a place with Him. Using the parable of the fig tree, Jesus urges us to read the “signs of the times” and stay ready, as we cannot know the exact moment of His return.

Instead of being afraid and fearing Christ’s Second Coming, let’s focus on recognizing Jesus in our everyday lives. He is present in the Holy Eucharist, the Bible, and our faith communities. By following God's will—serving others, seeing Christ in everyone, and seeking reconciliation with God and each other—we will be ready to welcome Him.

The lesson from the fig tree encourages us to live in a state of readiness, not obsessed with end-time events, but by loving God and living out that love through committed service to others with selfless, sacrificial love.