My Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time "B"

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deacon Kevin F. Reid
November 18th 2012
Church of the Immaculate Conception









God's Promises are For Ever and Ever

I am sure that by now you have been noticing the CHANGE that is in the air, by now most of the leaves have changed color and the yards are filling with those big black bags of leaves ready to be picked up and to be taken away.

This is actually one of the prettiest times of the year to see the wonder of nature. The last leaves to fall are the Japanese Maple those are the ones that in the past week turned an almost iridescent reddish burgundy.
I was driving along Joppa Road the other day from the Parish to an appointment for a procedure at Johns Hopkins, at Greenspring Station, and the leaves were magnificent as the sun shone through the new spaces that the other fallen leaves had created in the trees  by already falling. It was almost like they were illuminated with the Glory of Creation, but yet they were dying.

Perhaps the greatest paradox in life is how the end can take us back to the beginning......... And that the beginning is the start of the end.

I would like to share a story with you that might help to understand today's readings. About a month ago, on a Tuesday morning, I was making my rounds at GBMC visiting the Catholic Patients who are there.

A patient's wife that I had come to know over the past four years, Mary met me in the hallway, and she was obviously upset so we sat down to talk for a few minutes.

Her husband Joe had been told that he was losing his fight, he had been battling Leukemia for the past four years. And the disease was winning and the options had run out.

I first met Joseph and Mary four years ago as they came for all of the various interventional treatments at the Hospital that they were hoping would stop the dreadful CANCER from spreading and from winning the battle.

The thing that struck me about this particular Joseph and Mary  besides their unique name as a COUPLE was their enduring hope, they never ever doubted in the Mercy and the Glory of God in the midst of their suffering. Each day left to them was a GIFT.

No matter who I had previously visited, no matter how LOW I MIGHT HAVE FELT when entering that room after spending a few minutes with them I always felt better.

Truly Joseph ministered to me more then I ever ministered to him. As I went in to visit Joseph that day, I was able to share with him how he had helped me so many times by the way he endured his suffering, by the way he and Mary cared for each other and for me.

I shared that I hoped to see him again but in my Heart I knew that would be unlikely. His body had been worn down and he was week from the fight. But he still had his dignity and his smile told me that it was alright that he was ready.

 God in his Mercy and Love had blessed Joseph with an unflappable HOPE that no matter what the outcome, no matter how hard the treatments were that he would be with him FOR EVER AND EVER.

Very early this past Monday morning, Jesus came for  Joseph. Just as one day he will come for each of us, I pray for all of us that we too will have the GRACE of a happy death in the end like Joseph did.

Joseph went to sleep that Sunday night in the arms of his Mary but woke up that morning in the arms of Jesus.

Perhaps the greatest paradox in life is how the end can take us back to the beginning......... And that the beginning is the start of the end.


The challenge that each of us will face in the end is only known to God, he alone knows what is in store for each of us, we need only remind ourselves of how he never ever leaves us alone. That he will be with us always for ever and ever.

Jesus in today's Gospel reminds us that we no not the time or the hour. That the "things" of this world will all fade and crumble and fall just like the great Temple in Jerusalem would one day do.

Our readings today all have a common theme of redemption in the midst of pain and persecution.

Jesus was speaking to the disciples, just as he tells us here today that Good will triumph in the end and that the Righteous the "ELECT" will inherit the Kingdom of God.

In our letter to the Hebrews the writer shared with us that Christ did sacrifice himself for our Redemption, and suffer at the hands of evil men.

But that after that he would take his place at the right hand of God the Father. And that he waits there for till the end of time to come back for each of us.

The common thread that they will share is that Christ will come once again to judge the Living and the Dead, and that his Kingdom will last forever.

We believe that this time that we spend in this life, will not end in death. That in Baptism we are "REBORN" into eternal life.

Perhaps the greatest paradox in life is how the end can take us back to the beginning......... And that the beginning is the start of the end.


We believe that when he comes again on the last day that we will all rise again.  And that the righteous will inherit the kingdom of God and eternal life.

So as we prepare ourselves now to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist I would like to leave you with the prayer that is read at all times of the day around the world in every hour by Priests, Deacons and Bishops. It is called the
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH and it speaks of the promise of FOR EVER AND EVER.

 They will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great glory and majesty.

Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
  that he would save us from our enemies, *
  from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever and ever.

THESE WORDS SHOULD GIVE US ALL THE HOPE THAT DURING ANY TIME OF TRIAL that the "NOW" that we are experiencing is temporary, but THAT "ETERNITY" is FOREVER.