Signs and Blunders: Sunday Reflection

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This morning’s Gospel reading is Mark 13:24–32:

Jesus said to his disciples:

“In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its 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 branch becomes 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 gates. 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 words 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.”

 Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man. — Luke 21:36

Vigilance isn’t exactly a human strength, as the scriptures repeatedly instruct us. From the temptation to eat the forbidden fruit to the Garden of Gethsemane, we are not collectively models of constant readiness and resolve. We know this only too well about ourselves too, which is why we constantly look for signs and portents rather than just do what we’re supposed to do at all times.

We do this all the time in politics. Polls are an obvious (and controversial) example, so we’ll avoid that discussion here. Instead, let’s consider some of the sillier and innocuous examples of fortune-telling in elections. For instance, the winners of baseball’s World Series and the NFL’s most recent Super Bowl are rumored to have some connection to the outcome of elections. Why? No one knows why, but it allows people to feel as though they have a handle on the future. 

That’s hardly the only example in life. We recently watched a short documentary series on Henry VIII, and it touched on the reliance of signs and portents seen (or rumored to be seem) during his lifetime. Hampton Court still has a custom-designed astronomical clock built and installed during his reign that is functionally more of an astrological clock, although it has other practical uses. People of that time wanted signs and portents of Henry’s life and rule, according to the documentary, and used astrology to find them.  

We might scoff at some of these practices from our past as superstitions, but humanity has never quite dispensed with superstition and the desire for omniscience. That is indeed the source of this impulse, and it expresses itself in forms of gnosticism — where people have claims to secret knowledge of the future through various means. Some of that is innocuous, some malevolent, and all of it blinds us to the necessity of the here and now. In the cases of religious gnosticism, it also blinds us to the truth of the Gospel and its clear message to repent and atone for sin now.

Of course, that seems like a damper on things, so people prefer to have a good idea of when precisely to begin doing that. Perhaps the best example of this is Saint Augustine, who finally put aside his hedonism to enter into a full relationship with Christ, and went on to become one of the Church’s greatest doctors. However, he struggled mightily to overcome his impulses, expressed through his famous prayer: “Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet.”

In that passage from Confessions, Augustine highlights the struggle within us all. These days, we might call it FOMO — the fear of missing out. We look to sin and worldliness with desire, but also desire the love and salvation of God. How do we resolve that conflict? By focusing on signs and portents to warn us when les jeux sont fait — the gig is up. 

However, Jesus warns his disciples — who are also asking about signs and portents — of the futility of that strategy. He teaches in parables such as the Ten Virgins that waiting to embrace the faithful life will lead to disaster. In that parable from Matthew 25, Jesus makes clear that there will be little warning when the Bridegroom comes, and by that time it will be too late. “Therefore keep watch,” Jesus warns, “because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Even in this passage, when Jesus teaches that signs will appear, it’s clear that the signs will appear much like the Bridegroom in the Parable of the Ten Virgins — immediately before the event. Until it happens, no one can discern the day or hour, not even Jesus Himself, who only knows how it will happen. Only the Father is fully omniscient, Jesus makes clear in this passage, and omniscience is not for us to grasp. 

So what are we to do? We are to prepare like the five virgins in the parable — remaining vigilant at all times, and otherwise leave the rest to the Lord. To do otherwise is to usurp His authority, and to ignore our responsibilities in the here and now. That is where we are called to serve God and participate in the Great Commission, rather than the past or the future. The Lord will forgive the past through the sacrifice of Christ and take care of the future, but our mission is in the present moment. 

We need to let go of both the past and the future to fully participate. That means trusting in the Lord for our own forgiveness when properly repented and atoned, and putting our faith in Him for the future rather than attempting forms of fortune-telling to guess the day of judgment. If we’re waiting for signs and wonders, we are making fatal blunders that will leave us unprepared for His arrival.  

Previous reflections on these readings:

The front page image is “Christ and Mary Magdalene in the house of the Pharisee,” Jacopo Tintoretto, 1545. Via Wikimedia Commons. 

“Sunday Reflection” is a regular feature, looking at the specific readings used in today’s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world. The reflection represents only my own point of view, intended to help prepare myself for the Lord’s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion. Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here.