Presider: Fr. Mark Payne Parish: Chaplain, Heart of the Nation Choir: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton www.MySundayMass.org Text from the Gospel and Homily The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark. Glory to you O Lord. Jesus said to his disciples, “In those days after the tribulation the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give it's 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 branches become 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 gate. 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 word 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. The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ. The readings today can be a bit disconcerting. We can be a little worried, almost fearful because some of what we are hearing it's like “Oh the sun is going to be darkened and the moon won't shed its light. And I know for many of us, especially if you watch the news, the world looks a little bleak and certainly a little frightening. And then you wonder “What is going to come of all of this?” The take I want to move this morning with this Gospel is that it gives us a moment to look at our relationship with our Lord. The second reading tells us that if we have forgiven and have been forgiven we have a relationship with the Lord, so in the midst of everything that may be going on how is our relationship with the Lord. I think that's key in these readings because if I have a close relationship, a good relationship with the Lord, no matter what happens, don't we believe we will be with the Lord? That the Lord has promised to come back and take us to be with him always? So sometimes the fear that we feel, the fear that exists out there might be because it gives us a moment to look at our relationship with the Lord. Are we in good a relationship with the Lord? Have we taken the time to ask for forgiveness of those around us and are we living in good relations with them? The fear comes when the fear exists and we are asking the question: will I be one of the elect? Will I be one of the many brought to the Lord? Don't allow fear to overtake you. Even when you are watching the news, sometimes it is good to step away from that, all of that information that is flooding in. Realize that there is goodness in the world, goodness in people. People are truly are good and in a good relationship with the Lord but for ourselves sometimes readings like this give us a moment to pause. How are we in relationship with one other and with our God and if we are in the right relationship, don't fear the Lord is always with us. I'm going to invite you to please stand and let us pray together the Apostle’s Creed.

• published: 14 Nov 2015
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