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 33^rd Sunday, Year B: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: Is my name in the book of life?

Reading: Dan. 12:1-3; Heb. 10:11-14,18; Lk. 13:24-32

Dear friends, on this thirty-third Sunday, we are reminded of the final consummation at the end of time. We have just one Sunday for the liturgical year to end. So, the church brings to us the reality of the eschatological things, the end of time. The readings of this Sunday are set in a prophetic tone of the end time. In other words, they point to God’s people’s future deliverance through Christ’s redemptive work at the end of time. Through these readings, the Holy Mother Church reminds us that there will be an end to this worldly existence; she tells us how the last days will be, and, most importantly, she raises our hope of salvation by reminding us of our future and eternal perfection through Christ’s single sacrifice.

It was in this line of thought of the hope of salvation after the perils of life that the first reading was situated. It is actually from the last chapter of the book of Daniel. In the reading, the angel informed Daniel that the hardships his people were facing in exile were coming to an end. That the Archangel Michael would appear to defend and protect the people. On that day, all those whose names were written in the book of God, that is, those who have distinguished themselves in living good life (both the living and the dead), will enter eternal life, while those whose names did not enter the book of life will be meant to face eternal perdition.

The book of God is the book of life. It will be opened on the last day of our lives when we will stand before the judgement throne of God. Those who lived worthy lives will see their names in that book. It also implies that there is the book of the devil, the book of death, where the names of those who have lived unworthy lives on earth will be written. These books record everything we have done on earth, both the good and the bad.

Dear friends, the time given to us to live on earth is a golden opportunity to write our names in the book of life through our good actions. Through his Sacrifice on the cross, Christ the Lamb of God, as was revealed in the book of Revelation, has opened the seals of this book of life and has made it possible for us to write our names in it. Let us not miss our opportunities.

The second reading demonstrates to us the efficacy of the one and single sacrifice for sin which Christ the eternal High Priest offered for our sins, the sacrifice that has given us the ability to write our names in God’s book. That sacrifice on the cross has destroyed the yoke of Satan and sin upon us; it has given us the ability to accomplish virtuous acts and the capacity to call Abba Father. That sacrifice has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

The tone of the Gospel of today is similar to that of the first reading. St. Mark was writing to his people, who were suffering many persecutions under the Roman government (not the Roman government of our days). He was addressing, in a special way, those of them who were thinking that Christ was delaying His second coming – those who had started losing hope in the promises of Christ, assuring them of the reality of the second coming of Christ.

St. Mark made a catalogue of frightening things that will usher in that last day, things that got his audience frightened. It is also true that many people in our days are frightened when they are reminded of the reality of the last days of their lives and our world; they are frightened when they are reminded that one day they will die and face the judgement of God. At times, what gets people frightened is the fact that the life they are living isn’t worthy enough to guarantee them a place in the kingdom of God.

Dear friends, the Church invites us today to pulse and reflect over the last days of our lives. The truth is that that last day must surely come. One day we shall die and leave this earth and everything we possessed; let us not be deceived by anyone who says the contrary. The big question we must ask ourselves today is whether we have been able to write our names in God’s book of life with the way we have been living our lives, or whether we have been busy writing our names in the devil’s book of eternal perdition. My prayer is that God will save us from writing our names in the book of eternal damnation.

Dear friends, one thing we must be sure of is that each action we take on earth either helps our names to be written in the book of eternal life or in the book of eternal death. Let us, therefore, pray in today’s Mass to use our life’s opportunities to inscribe our names in God’s book of life.

Peace be with you.

Fr. Isaac Chima