We can often forget that one of the teachings of the Church is that the world will end and the Kingdom of God will triumph. When I say that, I mean, many Christian faiths believe something similar, and we even have in our world today the phenomenon of “preppers” people preparing for the end of the world. However, what many people do not understand is what does this end of the world entail and how do we look at it.

First, let us look at the term, “End of the World”. The world is that element of reality that is against God in our world. It is the intrigue, the manipulation, the materialism, the looking out for me and not you mentality, it is the I am going to get the gold even at your expense philosophy. It is all the evil that portrays itself as good. This is what ends. Does that mean the end of the Earth. I am not so sure. Indeed, in the languages I speak, Earth and World are two different terms. So, I don’t see anywhere the teaching the end of the Earth in terms of finality, only in terms of place. “I will go to the ends of the Earth for you.”

Many people will say that it appears that we are approaching the end of the world. Well, then let’s go to step two and ask that what means. We can see great evils around us. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches this is a sign of the end of the world, but not that evil is growing, but that the light of Christian is revealing more evil as evil becomes apparent and is conquered.

Those who root themselves in Christ will enjoy the spoils of victory over evil, those who reject Christ will be part of the conquered. Understand what we mean by Christ here. We are NOT saying, for example, that Ghandi is in Hell. That would be a gross misunderstanding of that teaching. What we are saying is that those who respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in Christ, even though they do not know Christ will be victorious over those who reject Christ. This is the end of the world.

The other major element of the end of the world is the rise of the anti-Christ. Again, the Church does not cite a specific figure. And for all those that say Barack Obama is the Anti-Christ, do note, the same was said about Ronald Reagan, even adding that there were six letters in each of his names Ronald Wilson Reagan. The Church teaches that the Anti-Christ is more a reality that exalts man over God, similar to what you see in the story of the Tower of Babel. That we as men are greater than God; that we have conquered ocean and even space. If any of those words sound familiar to you, they each connect to people who said those words only to see tragedy happen disproving those words. We can see the great evils created in the same of anthropocentric political philosophies to be representive of the anti-Christ.

Will the end of the world happen in our life? I have no idea, but what I do know is the end of our relationship to the world will happen in each of our lives, we call that death. So we have to ask ourselves: Are we rooted in the world or are we rooted in Christ? You cannot be both any more than you can be black and white at the same time. You just can’t.

The readings today ask us the question, are you ready for that moment? Or are you rooted in the world?

That is the key here, how much have you allowed yourself to be transformed in Christ? How much are you ready to let go of what Paul calls the encumbrances to sin, those worldly connections that we have, like dross in molten gold? Now is the time to turn and ask God to transform you, to make you more the way he wants you to be.

Now is the time to offer every part of your life to Christ, not because you do not want to be on the losing end of the end of the world, but because being totally His, is the way to eternal joy

The world will end, but Christ came to give us joy that will not. Turn to Him today and ask for that transformation in Him.

God bless you,

Fr. Robert J Carr