Homily - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Times (The Paddleball Story)

Mass Readings

Daniel 12: 1-3

Hebrews 10: 11-14, 18
Mark 13: 24-32

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When I was a boy there was a toy I got just about every Christmas that was both a joy and a terror.

Remember these things?  In my stocking every year, I got a paddleball.

For five minutes of pure joy I would hit the ball, it would return, I would hit the ball again and it would return again and again and again.  Until the rubber band broke and the ball would go sailing off.

For weeks and months after my moment of pure joy, the paddle became a device for corporal punishment, something I feared greatly. 

Now you see I was a bit of a troublesome lad.  So, I found myself over a knee quite often with my backside at the receiving end of “the paddle.”

So, where am I going with this you might ask? 

As I reflect on today’s scripture readings, I see a strong correlation between my paddleball experience and what God is trying to share with us with His Gospel message.

Please bear with me on this.  To me, the paddleball reflects our relationship with God.  The paddle is God or Jesus Christ, the rubber band is the Holy Spirit that links us to God, and the ball is us. 

We long to soar, to bounce through life with much joy, but still want to be connected to God. 

Sometimes the connection gets severed and we go flying off in unknown directions and down unknown paths.

Occasionally the paddle gets put into the hands of someone who wants to use it in a way it was not designed (Sorry, mom). 

In other words, the Word of God can get corrupted or abused by humans and be used to strike terror into our hearts where there should be an abundance of joy.

 

At the time of Christ there was this thing called the apocalyptic tradition.  Mark 13 is one of the main passages in the four Gospels reflecting this tradition. 

In fact, some people call Mark 13 the “Little Apocalypse” and the book of Revelation the “Big Apocalypse.”  But Christ is trying to say something more here than just scaring the bejeebers out of us. 

In fact, some scholars say Christ is trying to infuse hope into the fear found in the apocalyptic tradition. 

Mark’s Gospel was written at a time when followers of Christ thought the end was near.  The second coming was about to happen.  “They” were living in End Times.

 

          But by infusing hope within a mindset of fear, Jesus is throwing us all a lifeline, a rubber band to tether ourselves to God, so we won’t be afraid as we fly through life. 

 Sure, the end will come eventually.  But fear not.

When the apocalyptic paddle is placed in the wrong human hands it can create much anxiety and fear.  Placed in Christ’s loving hands it is used to help us to soar to new heights and be not afraid.  It is a joy-filled life versus one living in fear of “the paddle.”

More than a decade ago, I heard these readings at the end of each liturgical year and they would always strike deep fear in my heart.

 What is our Church trying to tell us?  What horrible thing was about to happen?    Instead, I should have been looking at it the right way, what great thing is about to happen? 

We should all know:  Advent and the Birth of Christ our savior.

But I used to be afraid when I heard these readings.  They reinforced what some of my fundamentalist and evangelical Christian friends were saying about “End of Days.”

I remember hearing these readings a few months before scud missiles flew toward Jerusalem during the first Gulf War, just a few weeks after our first son was born.  I thought, “Dear Lord, why did we bring this child into this world?”

I remember hearing these readings weeks before the new millennium and thinking, maybe God is sending us a message about pending disaster.

I remember hearing these readings a few months after 9-11 and being so afraid for our future.

You’re hearing these readings at the end of 2012.  And we all know what some people say about 2012: the End of the Mayan calendar and all that.  There’s even a popular apocalyptic movie called "2012."

But that is not what our Church is teaching us here.  That is not what Jesus is saying here.

Instead of being afraid of the days where the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the skies and the powers of heaven are shaken, Jesus is telling us, it is then we will see the “Son of Man coming in the clouds” with great power and glory to gather his elect.  There’s the hope.  That’s what Jesus wants us focused on.

Perhaps you remember the book The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey in the 70s.  His theory stirred up many Christians to think we’re living in “End Times.”  We all know about the wacky preachers who predict dates on which the world will end.  Perhaps you’ve even read one of the Left Behind books and bought into this thinking. 

No matter how much fear is present in our current culture about the “End Times,” no one, not even our Church, knows when the End will happen.

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

Jesus is telling you.  Jesus is telling me.  Jesus is telling all humankind not to worry about the end.  Be focused instead on the joy of the resurrection and the life eternal Jesus opened up for us all when he died on the cross.  This is the offering he “made perfect forever.”

And those of us who believe are the “wise (who) shall shine brightly…and those who (will) lead many to justice.”

Jesus is rebuking all those who would use the paddle to spank his elect or strike fear into our hearts.  Jesus is reminding us that as long as we remain connected to God, tethered to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can soar without fear and have much joy in our lives.   For Jesus Christ reigns forever and invites each and every one of us into His promise of eternal life.

Now I know, even with the promise, there are times in our lives when we fear the end; maybe it’s a cancer diagnosis, or the loss of a loved one, or times when our hearts are hurting with sorrow, our pain too heavy to bear, our lives filled with woe and fear. 

Jesus knows we have moments like these in our lives and uses this scripture to reassure us to fear not, but believe in eternal life as one of His “elect” who will be gathered up.

So, may you live with a joy-filled heart.  And may you understand that Jesus Christ promises you eternal life.  May you soar through life without any fear even in your darkest hours.  May you live with peace and joy all the days of your life.

That’s what our Catholic Church is preparing us for.  That is what Jesus Christ lovingly reminds us all today.